DAVID 
DWIGHT 
WELLS 


940 

Ltmg 


PARLOUS  TIMES 


A    NOVEL    OF    MODERN    DIPLOMACY 


By    DAVID     DWIGHT    WELLS 


Author    of  "Her     Ladyship's     Elephant," 

**His     Lordship's      Leopard," 

Etc.,     Etc. 


NEW   YORK 

J.  F.  TAYLOR  &   COMPANY 
1900 


COPYRIGHT,  1900, 
J.  F.  TAYLOR  &  COMPANY. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  rAGK 

I.  The  Conspiracy 5 

II.  Wanted — a  Chaperon 15 

III.  Parlous  Times 29 

IV.  A  Lady  in  Distress 41 

V.  A  Gentleman  in  Distress 51 

VI.  Afternoon  Tea 63 

VII.  An  Irate  Husband 75 

VIII.  Diplomatic  Instructions 88 

IX.  A  House-warming 95 

X.  Before  Dinner 105 

XL  After  Dinner 117 

XII.  A  Morning  Call 129 

XIII.  The  Serious  Side  of  Miss  Fitzgerald's  Nature 141 

XIV.  The  Serious  Side  of  the  Secretary's  Nature 149 

XV.  The  Secretary's  Intentions 156 

XVI.  Man  Proposes 169 

XVII.  Her  Husband 179 

XVIII.  The  Door  with  the  Silver  Nails 190 

XIX.  A  Midnight  Message 201 

XX.  The  Wisdom  of  Age 209 

XXI.  The  Resources  of  Diplomacy 219 


D    J?  **    J       (*""• 


Contents 


CHAPTER 

XXII.  A  Little  Commission  .........................  229 

XXIII.  Forty  Thousand  Pounds  ......................  240 

XXIV.  A  Very  Awkward  Predicament  ................  252 

XXV.  The  Rustle  of  a  Skirt  .........................  264 

XXVI.  Face  to  Face  ................................  274 

XXVII.  The  Marriage  Register  .......................  284 

XXVIII.  Two  Questions  ..............................  296 

XXIX.  In  which  Death  is  a  Relief  ....................  309 

XXX.  Two  Letters  .................................  322 

XXXI.  Miss  Fitzgerald  Burns  her  Boats  ..............  335 

XXXII.  The  Top  of  the  Tower  .......................  346 

XXXIII.  The  Secret  of  the  Door  ......................  356 

XXXIV.  Within  the  Tower  ............................  366 

XXXV.  The  Short  Way  Out  ..........................  374 

XXXVI.  The  Day  of  Reckoning  .......................  384 

XXXVII.  The  Price  of  Knowledge  .....................  397 

XXXVIII.  The  Price  of  Love  ...........................  406 

XXXIX.  The  Price  of  Silence  .........................  422 

XL.  The  Price  of  a  Lie  ...........................  433 


PARLOUS  TIMES 


CHAPTER  I 

THE    CONSPIRACY 

"  FORTY  thousand  pounds  is  a  pretty  sum  of 
money." 

"  Bribery  is  not  a  pretty  word." 

"  No — there  should  be  a  better  name  for  private 
transactions  when  the  amount  involved  assumes 
proportions  of  such  dignity."  The  speaker  smiled 
and  glanced  covertly  at  his  companion. 

"  Darcy  is  our  man  without  doubt.  Can  you 
land  him  ?  He  may  hold  out  for  the  lion's  share 
and  then  refuse  on  the  ground  of — honour." 

"  Darcy  and  honour !     That  is  a  far  call." 

"  There  is  much  unsuspected  honesty  going 
around." 

"  Perhaps — but  not  Darcy." 

"  But  what  if  he  refuse  ?  " 

"  He  cannot." 

"  Why  not  ?  " 

"  That's  my  secret.  I  force  Darcy's  hand  for 
you,  and  in  return  I  expect  fair  recognition." 

"  You  have  our  promise,  but  it  must  be  to-night. 

5 


6  Parlous  Times 

There  is  no  time  to  lose.     I'll  go  onto  the  house. 
Where  will  you  see  Darcy  ?  " 

" Leave  that  to  me.  Until  morning — adios" 
and  he  vanished  among  the  deep  shadows  and 
dark  shrubbery. 


The  sun  had  sunk  red  and  fiery  below  the  edge 
of  the  waving  mesa,  and  a  full  tropical  moon  shed 
its  glory  over  the  landscape,  making  dark  and 
mysterious  the  waving  fields  of  cane,  which  sur- 
rounded the  whitewashed  courts  of  the  palatial 
hacienda.  The  building  was  brilliantly  lighted 
within,  and  from  it  came  such  sounds  of  discord- 
ant merriment  as  could  be  produced  only  by  a 
singularly  inferior  native  orchestra.  Through 
one  of  the  long  French  windows  which  gave  on 
to  the  veranda  of  the  house,  there  stepped  forth 
the  figure  of  a  man.  He  stood  for  a  moment 
taking  long  breaths  of  the  heavy  miasmatic  air, 
as  if  it  were  grateful  and  refreshing  after  the 
stifling  atmosphere  of  the  ball-room.  Had  he 
not  worn  the  uniform  of  a  British  officer  he  would 
still  have  been  unmistakably  military  in  appear- 
ance, standing  six  feet  or  over,  a  fine  specimen 
of  an  animal,  and  handsome  to  look  upon.  But 
it  was  a  weak  face  for  a  soldier,  in  spite  of  its 
bronze  and  scars,  a  weakness  which  was  accentu- 
ated by  the  traces  of  a  recent  illness.  To  judge 
from  his  pallor  it  had  been  severe.  The  man  had 
a  pair  of  shifty  grey  eyes,  which  never  by  any 
chance  looked  you  straight  in  the  face,  and  now 


The  Conspiracy  7 

expressed  ill-concealed  ennui  and  annoyance. 
Not  the  countenance  of  a  joyful  bridegroom  cer- 
tainly, and  yet,  he  had  but  that  moment  left  the 
side  of  his  wife  of  a  few  hours,  the  most  beautiful 
woman  in  that  South  American  State,  and  the 
only  child  and  sole  heiress  of  its  most  famous 
planter,  Sefior  De  Costa. 

Up  to  that  day  the  progress  of  his  suit  and  the 
many  obstacles  which  might  intervene  to  prevent 
its  successful  consummation,  had  given  a  certain 
zest  to  the  game.  Now  that  he  had  won,  he  was 
heartily  sick  and  tired  of  the  whole  affair.  Seizing 
a  moment  when  his  wife  was  dancing  with  one  of 
her  relations,  he  had  stolen  out  on  the  broad 
veranda  to  be  alone,  and  to  pull  himself  to- 
gether in  order  that  he  might  play  out  the  rest  of 
what  was,  to  him,  a  little  comedy ;  and  to  the 
woman  within — well,  time  would  show.  The  soft 
moonlight  tempted  him.  His  place  was  in  the 
ballroom,  he  knew,  but  he  put  one  foot  off  the 
edge  of  the  piazza.,  and  as  it  pressed  the  soft  grass 
under  his  feet,  he  fell  a  willing  victim  to  the 
spell  of  the  night,  and  strolled  slowly  off  into  the 
darkness. 

His  meditations  were  not,  however,  destined 
to  remain  uninterrupted.  He  had  gone  scarcely 
thirty  yards  when  a  lithe  figure  rose  suddenly  out 
of  a  clump  of  bushes,  and  touching  him  softly  on 
the  arm,  whispered  in  perfect  English,  without 
the  faintest  touch  of  Spanish  accent : — 

"  Hist,  Sefior  Darcy.  A  word  with  you,  and 
speak  softly." 


8  Parlous  Times 

"  Who  the  devil  are  you  ?  "  demanded  Colonel 
Darcy,  instinctively  feeling  for  his  revolver,  for 
in  this  remote  and  not  over  well-governed  section, 
a  night  encounter  did  not  always  have  a  pleasant 
termination. 

"  I  mean  you  no  harm,"  said  the  stranger, 
"  only  good." 

"  Then  why  couldn't  you  come  to  the  house 
and  see  me  there  ? "  demanded  the  officer 
brusquely. 

"  It  was  out  of  consideration  for  your  Excel- 
lency," replied  the  stranger  quietly.  "  I  had  the 
honour  to  serve  under  your  Excellency  some  years 
ago,  in  England." 

"  Impossible !  "  said  the  Colonel.  "  You  are 
Spanish,  but " 

"  Of  Spanish  parents,  Seffor,  but  English-born. 
I  joined  the  regiment  at  Blankhampton.  My 
room-mate  was  Sergeant  Tom  Mannis." 

Darcy  drew  in  his  breath  sharply. 

"Your  Excellency  may  remember  he  died  of 
fever." 

"  I  never  saw  or  heard  of  your  friend  !  " 

"  Though  he  was  your  Excellency's  body, 
servant,"  suggested  the  stranger. 

Darcy  bit  his  moustache. 

"  When  he  died,"  continued  the  speaker,  "  he 
bequeathed  certain  papers  to  me,  containing 
evidence  of  a  ceremony  performed  over  a  certain 
officer  of  his  regiment,  then  stationed  in  Ireland, 
in  the  month  of  August  three  years  ago." 

"  Ah,"  said  the  Colonel,  "  I  think  I  see  the  drift 


The  Conspiracy  9 

of  your  remarks,  my  friend.  You  wish  to  have 
a  little  chat  with  me,  eh  ?  " 

The  man  nodded. 

"  It  is  a  pleasant  night,"  continued  Darcy, 
"  suppose  we  stroll  a  trifle  farther  from  the 
house."  He  slipped  his  hand  furtively  behind 
him. 

"  With  pleasure,"  acquiesced  the  other.  "  But," 
he  added,  as  they  took  their  first  step  forward, 
"the  Seflor  will  find  only  blank  cartridges  in  his 
revolver.  It  is  a  matter  that  I  attended  to  per- 
sonally." 

Darcy  swore  under  his  breath.  Aloud  he  said, 
simply : — 

"  Say  what  you  have  to  say,  and  be  quick.  I 
shall  be  missed  from  the  ballroom." 

The  man  nodded  again,  and  plunged  abruptly 
into  his  narration. 

"  There  is  an  island  at  the  mouth  of  the  X 

River,  off  the  coast  of  this  country,  as  you  have 
probably  heard.  It  contains  large  manufactories 
for  the  sale  of  a  staple  article,  which  we  produce. 
Owing  to  an  amiable  arrangement  between  the 
heads  of  the  firm  in  England  and  our  Govern- 
ment, a  monopoly  of  this  article  is  secured  to  them, 
in  return  for  which  certain  officials  in  this  country 
receive  thousands  of  pesetas  a  year.  As  your 
Excellency  may  remember,  a  treaty  is  pending 
between  this  country  and  Great  Britain,  looking 
to  the  secession  of  the  island  to  the  latter.  If 
the  treaty  succeeds,  the  monopoly,  owing  to  your 
accursed  free-trade  principles,  will  cease,  and  the 


io  Parlous  Times 

island  and  its  products  be  thrown  open  to  com- 
petition." 

"  It  has  been  suggested  by  certain  patriotically 
disposed  personages,  with  a  desire  for  their  coun- 
try's good,  that  a  prearranged  disposition  of 
forty  thousand  pounds  in  gold  among  a  majority 
of  the  members  of  the  Cabinet  who  are  to  pass 
upon  the  treaty  some  six  months  hence,  might 
result  in  its  rejection." 

"  Well,"  said  Darcy,  shortly,  "  what  of  that  ?  " 

"  The  only  difficulty  that  remains,  is  the  trans- 
portation of  the  bullion  from  England  to  our 
capital.  Those  interested  in  the  matter  have 
felt  that  if  an  Englishman  of  undoubted  integ- 
rity," there  was  just  a  suspicion  of  sarcasm  in  the 
speaker's  tones,  "  who  is  so  highly  connected  in 
this  country  that  the  usual  customs  formalities 
would  be  omitted  on  his  re-entry,  I  say,  if  this 
Englishman  could  see  his  way  to  bringing  over 
the  gold,  things  might  be  satisfactorily  ar- 
ranged." 

"  A  very  interesting  little  plot,"  said  the  officer. 
"  And  what  would  the  philanthropic  Englishman 
receive  for  his  services?" 

"  He  would  receive  at  the  hands  of  the  presi- 
dent of  the  company  a  packet  of  papers,  formally 
the  property  of  Sergeant  Tom  Mannis,  of  her 
Britannic  Majesty's  — th  Fusiliers,  lately  de- 
ceased." 

"And  what  would  prevent  the  philanthropic 
but  muscular  Englishman  from  wringing  the  neck 
of  the  low-down  sneak  who  has  proposed  this 


The  Conspiracy  II 

plan  to  him,  and  taking  the  papers  out  of  his  in- 
side pocket?  " 

"  Because,  Excellency,  they  are  now  in  the  safe 
of  the  manufacturing  company." 

"  And  the  president  of  that  company?" 

"  Is  a  guest  at  your  Excellency's  wedding." 

Darcy  clenched  his  hands  nervously.  He  was 
battling  silently,  skilfully,  not  to  betray  the  dread 
which  was  unnerving  him.  The  music  floated 
out  from  the  house — fitful  and  discordant. 

"  An  Englishman,"  he  said  slowly,  "  never  gives 
way  to  a  threat,  but  of  course,  if  he  could  be 
brought  to  see  the  purely  philanthropic  side  of 
the  argument,  and  receive — well,  say,  five  per 
cent,  of  the  bullion  carried,  for  his  travelling  ex- 
penses, he  might  see  his  way  to  sacrifice  his  person- 
al interests  for  the  good  of  his  adopted  country." 

"  Good,"  said  the  stranger.  "  The  president 
will  meet  you  the  day  after  to-morrow,  at  three 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  at  the  capital  in  the  San 
Carlos  Club." 

"  Very  well,"  said  Darcy.  "  Go.  Someone's 
coming! " 

The  figure  of  the  stranger  faded  into  the  dark- 
ness, and  a  moment  later  the  soft  footsteps  of  a 
woman  approached. 

"  Ah,  mia  carrissima"  he  said,  taking  her  in 
his  arms.  "You  have  missed  me." 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  with  a  little  sigh  of  satisfied 
relief,  as  she  felt  his  strong  embrace  about  her. 
"But  why  did  you  leave  me?  I  do  not  under- 
stand." 


12  Parlous  Times 

"  The  air  of  the  room  oppressed  me.  I  came 
out  to  breathe." 

"  I  did  not  know,"  she  said.  "  I  was  fright- 
ened." And  as  she  raised  her  face  to  him,  he 
saw  that  she  had  been  crying. 

She  might  well  have  commanded  any  man's  at- 
tention. Tall  and  slight,  lissome  in  every  move- 
ment of  her  exquisitely  shaped  figure,  barely 
thirty,  and  very  fair  withal.  Even  the  tears  which 
sparkled  on  her  long  lashes  could  not  obscure  the 
superb  black  eyes  full  of  a  passion  which  betrayed 
Castilian  parentage  as  surely  as  did  those  finely- 
chiselled  features,  and  that  silky  crown  of  hair 
which,  unbound,  must  have  descended  to  her  feet. 
Half  Spanish,  half  Greek,  she  was  a  woman  to  be 
looked  upon  and  loved. 

"  But,  Inez,  surely  you  trusted  me  ?  "  came  the 
suave  tones  of  expostulation  from  her  husband. 

"  Trusted  you,  my  knight  ?  Have  I  not  trusted 
you  this  day  with  my  soul,  with  my  whole  life? 
You  have  been  so  near  to  death's  door,  and  I 
have  been  so  near  to  losing  you,  that  I  fear  now, 
every  moment  you  are  out  of  my  sight." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  think  there  is  any  danger,"  he 
said,  laughing.  "  I  am  strong  enough  now,  though 
I  daresay  I  should  never  have  pulled  through 
without  such  a  plucky  nurse." 

"Ah,  yes,"  she  said.  "  I  can  shut  my  eyes  and 
see  you  now,  how  frightfully  ill  and  worn  you 
were,  when  you  came  to  my  father's  house  that 
night,  three  months  ago,  invalided  home  from 
India." 


The  Conspiracy  13 

"  Yes,"  he  said.  "  It  was  the  greatest  stroke 
of  luck  in  my  life  that  I  should  have  lost  my  way 
and  have  been  obliged  to  beg  your  hospitality  for 
the  night." 

"  And  then  the  fever.  The  next  morning  you 
were  delirious.  For  days  you  knew  nothing,  un- 
derstood nothing,  yet  you  talked,  talked,  always." 

Colonel  Darcy  shifted  uneasily. 

"  One  generally  does  that,"  he  said.  "  The 
raving  of  delirium." 

"  You  said  things  that  meant  nothing  usually. 
But  one  name  you  were  always  repeating,  a  strange 
English  name  of  a  woman." 

"And  it  was?"  he  murmured,  stroking  her 
hair. 

"  Belle.  La  Belle,  I  think  you  meant.  And  the 
other  name,  I  do  not  remember.  It  sounded 
harsh,  and  I  did  not  like  it." 

He  laughed  nervously. 

"  There  is  nothing  for  you  to  be  jealous  about, 
cara  mia"  he  said.  "  It  was  the  name  of  a  play- 
mate of  my  childhood.  I  had  not  heard  or 
thought  of  it  for  years.  But  that  is  the  way  in 
fever.  The  forgotten  things,  the  things  of  no  im- 
portance come  uppermost  in  the  mind." 

"  And  then,"  she  went  on,  "  came  that  happy 
day  when  you  knew  us,  and  then  you  grew 
stronger  and  better,  and  I  realised  that  you  would 
be  going  away  from  us  for  ever." 

"  Did  you  think  ?  "  he  asked  softly,  "  that  I 
could  ever  have  forgotten  my  nurse  ?  " 

"  I  had  been  unhappy  and  very  lonely.     I  feared 


14  Parlous  Times 

to  hope  for  joy  again,  till  the  day  that  you  told 
me  you  loved  me."  And  she  hid  her  face  on  his 
shoulder  to  hide  her  blushes. 

"  Come,"  he  said.  "  We  must  think  of  the  pres- 
ent. I  have  a  little  surprise  for  you.  I  have 
been  going  over  my  affairs,  and  I  do  not  think  it 
will  be  necessary  to  take  you  away  from  home  for 
so  long  a  time  as  I  had  first  thought.  I  hope 
that  in  six  months  we  may  be  able  to  return." 

"  Oh  ! "  she  cried.  "  That  is  indeed  good  news  ! 
I  dread  your  England.  It  is  so  far  away,  and  so 
strange." 

"  I  shall  try  to  teach  you  to  love  it.  But  we 
must  be  returning  to  the  house.  Our  guests  will 
miss  us." 

"  Oh,  yes,"  she  replied.  "  I  meant  to  have  told 
you.  The  president  of  some  great  manufacturing 
company  has  arrived  to  pay  his  respects,  and  is 
anxious  to  speak  with  you." 


CHAPTER  II 

WANTED — A  CHAPERON 

ALOYSIUS  STANLEY,  Secretary  of  a  South 
American  Embassy,  was  not  happy.  Yet  he  was 
counted  one  of  the  most  fortunate  young  men  in 
London.  Of  good  family,  and  large  fortune,  he  had 
attained  a  social  position,  which  not  a  few  might 
envy.  His  rooms  faced  the  park,  he  belonged  to 
the  swellest  and  most  inane  club  in  town,  was  ex 
officio  a  member  of  the  Court,  and  knew  at  least 
two  duchesses,  not  perhaps  intimately,  but  well 
enough  to  speak  to  at  a  crush.  He  had  been 
christened  Aloysius,  because  his  father  owned  a 
large  plantation  in  a  South  American  Republic — 
no,  it  was  a  Dictatorship  then — and  had  named 
his  son  after  the  saint  on  whose  day  he  had  been 
born,  out  of  consideration  for  the  religious  preju- 
dices of  the  community. 

His  name,  then,  was  Aloysius  Stanley,  and  this 
was  the  reason  his  intimates  called  him  "  Jim." 
His  other  titles  were  "  my  dear  colleague,"  when 
his  brethren  in  the  diplomatic  corps  wanted  any- 
thing of  him,  and  "  Mr.  Secretary  "  when  his  chief 
was  wroth. 

Having  shown  no  special  aptitude  for  growing 
sugar  he  had  been  early  put  into  diplomacy,  un- 

'5 


1 6  Parlous  Times  • 

der  the  erroneous  impression  that  it  would  keep 
him  out  of  mischief. 

He  was,  on  the  evening  on  which  he  is  first  in- 
troduced to  us,  standing  in  the  immaculate  glory 
of  his  dress  suit,  on  the  top  step  of  the  grand 
staircase  of  the  Hyde  Park  Club. 

His  party,  a  very  nice  little  party  of  six,  had  all 
arrived  save  one,  and  that  one  was  his  chaperon. 
The  two  young  ladies,  safe  in  harbour  of  the  cloak- 
room, awaited  her  coming  to  flutter  forth  ;  the 
two  gentlemen  wandered  aimlessly  about  the  now 
nearly  deserted  reception-room,  for  dinner  was 
served  and  most  of  the  brilliant  parties  had  already 
gone  to  their  respective  tables. 

Surely  she  would  come,  he  told  himself ;  some- 
thing  unavoidable  had  detained  her.  Lady 
Rainsford  was  much  too  conscientious  to  leave 
an  unfortunate  young  man  in  the  lurch  without 
sending  at  least  a  substitute — yet,  with  it  all,  there 
was  the  sickening  suspicion  that  she  might  have 
met  with  a  carriage  accident  in  crowded  Picca- 
dilly ;  have  received,  as  she  was  on  the  point  of 
starting,  the  news  of  some  near  relative's  death ; 
some  untoward  accident  or  stroke  of  fate,  which 
took  no  count  of  social  obligations,  and  would 
leave  him  in  this  most  awful  predicament.  Why 
had  he  departed  from  his  invariable  rule  of  ask- 
ing two  married  ladies — what  if  it  did  cramp  him 
in  the  number  of  his  guests  ?  Anything  was  better 
than  this  suspense  !  If  fate  was  only  kind  to  him 
this  once,  he  vowed  he  would  never,  as  long  as  he 
lived,  tempt  her  again  in  this  respect. 


Wanted — A  Chaperon  17 

Hark — what  was  that !  a  hansom  was  driving  at 
break-neck  speed  up  to  the  ladies'  entrance.  Some 
other  belated  guest — Lady  Rainsford  had  her  own 
carriage — no,  a  man — and — Good  Heavens  !  it 
was  her  Ladyship's — butler.  Something  had  hap- 
pened. He  needed  no  page  to  summon  him — he 
rushed  down,  two  stairs  at  a  time. 

"  No,  sir,  no  message,"  explained  the  flustered 
butler — "  I  come  on  my  own  responsibility — see- 
ing as  her  Ladyship  had  fainted  dead  away  as 
she  was  just  a  putting  on  her  opera  cloak — and 
knowing  as  she  was  coming  to  you,  sir,  as  soon 
as  the  doctors  had  been  sent  for,  I  jumps  into 
a  cab  and  comes  here  to  let  you  know  as  you 
couldn't  expect  her  no-how — her  not  having  re- 
vived when  I  left — and — Thank  you,  sir "  as 

Stanley,  cutting  short  his  volubility,  pressed  a 
half-sovereign  into  his  hand,  to  pay  him  for  his 
cab  fare  and  his  trouble — adding  as  he  did  so : — 

"  Pray  request  her  Ladyship  not  to  worry  her- 
self about  me,  I  shall  be  able,  doubtless,  to  make 
other  arrangements — and — express  my  deep  re- 
grets at  her  indisposition."  The  man  touched 
his  hat  and  was  gone,  and  the  Secretary  slowly 
reascended  the  stairs. 

"  Make  other  arrangements ! "  Ah,  that  was 
easier  said  than  done.  What  would  his  guests 
say  when  he  confessed  to  them  his  awkward 
dilemma?  Lady  Isabelle  McLane  would  raise  her 
eyebrows,  call  a  cab,  and  go  home,  would  infi- 
nitely prefer  to  do  so  than  to  remain  under  the 
present  conditions.  But  Belle?  Without  doubt 


1 8  Parlous  Times 

Belle  Fitzgerald  would  do  the  same — not  because 
she  wished  to,  but  because  Lady  Isabelle  did. 
And  the  two  men — they  would  probably  stay  and 
chaff  him  about  it  the  rest  of  the  evening.  Lieu- 
tenant Kingsland  always  chaffed  everybody — he 
could  stand  that — but  Kent-Lauriston's  quiet, 
well-bred  cynicism,  would,  he  felt,  under  the  cir- 
cumstances, simply  drive  him  mad. 

Yet,  they  must  be  told.  He  must  face  the 
music,  or  find  a  chaperon,  and  how  could  he  do 
the  latter  in  a  maze  of  people  whom  he  did  not 
know,  and  who  were  all  engaged  to  their  own 
dinner-parties  ?  Outside  the  Club  it  was  hopeless, 
for  there  was  no  time  to  send  for  any  lady  friend, 
even  were  such  an  one  dressed  and  waiting  to 
come  at  his  behest.  A  telephone  might  have 
saved  the  situation,  but  London  is  above  tele- 
phones ;  they  are  not  sufficiently  exclusive.  No, 
he  must  meet  his  fate,  and  bear  it  like  a  man,  and 
none  of  his  guests  would  ever  forget  it  or  forgive 
him,  or  accept  any  of  his  invitations  again. 

Stanley  ascended  the  stairs  with  the  sensations 
of  an  early  Christian  martyr  going  to  the  arena — 
indeed,  he  felt  that  a  brace  of  hungry  lions  would 
be  a  happy  release  from  his  present  predicament. 
As  he  reached  the  top  step,  a  conversation,  car- 
ried  on  in  the  low  but  excited  tones  of  a  man  and 
a  woman,  reached  his  ears,  which  caused  him  to 
pause,  partly  out  of  curiosity  at  what  he  heard, 
but  more  because  the  words  carried,  in  their  mean- 
ing, a  ray  of  hope  to  his  breast. 

"  I  tell  you,  I  will  not  dine  with  those  men.     It 


Wanted — A  Chaperon  19 

is  an  insult  to  have  asked  me  to  receive  them, 
they  are ",  but  here  the  man,  evidently  her  hus- 
band, interrupted  earnestly  in  a  low  tone  of  voice, 
begging  her  to  be  silent,  but  she  did  not  heed  his 
request. 

"  I  tell  you,"  she  continued,  as  he  passed  on  to 
the  dining-rooms,  "  I  will  go  back  alone.  Ugh  ! 
how  I  despise  you  !  "  loathing  and  contempt  stung 
in  her  words.  "  If  only  my  father  were  here,  he 

would  never  permit "  She  turned  suddenly, 

and  crossed  the  hall  to  the  staircase,  coming  face 
to  face  with  the  Secretary. 

"  What — Inez  ?  You  ?  I  did  not  know  you 
were  in  London.  But  of  course — I  might  have 
known — Then  that  was  Colonel  Darcy  ?  I  have 
never  had  an  opportunity  to  congratulate  him 
or — to  wish  you  every  happiness,"  he  added  bit- 
terly. 

"  Don't,  Jim  !  Don't ! "  There  was  something 
suspiciously  like  a  sob  in  her  low  voice.  "  That 
is  a  mockery  I  cannot  stand — at  least  from  you." 

"  I  fail  to  understand  how  my  wishes,  good 
or  otherwise,  would  mean  anything  to  Madame 
Darcy." 

"  No — you  do  not  understand.  That  is  just  it. 
Oh,  Jim— it  has  all  been  a  piteous,  horrible  mis- 
take. They  lied  to  me — and  then  you  did  not 
come  back.  They  said  you  were — oh,  can't  you 
see?  " 

The  Secretary  looked  at  the  beautiful  face  be- 
fore him,  now  flushed  and  distressed.  How  well 
he  knew  every  line  of  that  exquisite  profile  and 


2O  Parlous  Times 

the  hair  parted  low  and  drawn  back  lightly  from 
the  brow. 

"  Let  me  explain,"  he  urged  hotly. 

Madame  Darcy  had  recovered  her  self-posses- 
sion and  drew  herself  up  with  a  gesture  of  proud 
dignity. 

"  No — "  she  answered  gently.  "  This  is  neither 
the  time  nor  place  for  explanations  between  us. 
Will  you  see  me  to  my  carriage — please  ?  " 

"  Oh,  don't  go  !  I  need  you  so.  Please  stay 
and  help  me  out  of  a  most  embarrassing  situa- 
tion." 

"  What  can  I  do  for  you  ?  " 

"  Well,  you  see  it  is  a  most  awkward  predica- 
ment. My  chaperon  has  been  taken  suddenly  ill  at 
the  last  moment,  and  is  unable  to  be  present,"  he 
began,  plunging  boldly  into  his  subject.  "  As  I 
am  entertaining  two  young  ladies  at  dinner  to- 
night, you  will  understand  my  unfortunate  situa- 
tion. Will  you  honour  me  by  accepting  the  va- 
cant place  at  the  head  of  my  table,  as  my  chap- 
eron ?  " 

Madame  Darcy  said  nothing  for  a  moment,  but 
looked  intently  at  the  Secretary. 

"  Who  form  your  party,  Mr.  Stanley  ?  "  she 
asked  presently. 

"  Do  not  call  me  Mr.  Stanley,  Inez." 

"  It  is  better — at  least  for  the  present." 

"  As  you  wish,  Madame  Darcy,"  he  acquiesced 
stiffly. 

"  I  cannot  explain  now — but  believe  me  it  is 
wiser.  And  your  party  consists  of — ?  " 


Wanted — A  Chaperon  21 

"Lady  Isabella  McLane,  daughter  of  the  Dow- 
ager Marchioness  of  Port  Arthur,  Miss  Fitzgerald, 
a  niece  of  Lord  Axminster,  Lieutenant  Kingsland, 
of  the  Royal  Navy,  and  Lionel  Kent-Lauriston — 
well,  everybody  knows  him." 

She  smiled. 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  "  I  have  met  him  ;  he  is  most 
charming."  In  saying  which  she  but  voiced  the 
generally  accepted  verdict  of  society. 

Everyone  knew  Kent-Lauriston  and  every- 
one liked  him.  He  was  a  type  of  the  most  de- 
lightful class  of  Englishman.  With  all  his  insular 
prejudices  strong  within  him,  and  combining  in 
his  personality  those  rugged  virtues  for  which  the 
name  of  Britain  is  a  synonym,  he  had  in  addition 
that  rarest  of  talents,  the  quality  of  being  all 
things  to  all  men  ;  for  he  was  possessed  of  great 
tact  and  sympathy  flavoured  with  a  cheerful 
cynicism  which  hurt  no  one,  and  lent  a  piquancy 
to  his  conversation.  It  was  said  of  him,  were  he 
put  down  in  any  English  shire,  he  would  not  need 
to  walk  five  miles  to  find  a  country  house  where 
he  would  be  a  welcome  and  an  honoured  guest. 

"  Then  I  may  hope  that  you  will  do  me  this 
great  kindness?"  continued  the  Secretary. 

"  I  accept  with  pleasure." 

"  And  Colonel  Darcy —  "  he  began. 

"  My  husband,"  she  replied,  not  waiting  for 
him  to  finish  his  sentence,  "  cannot  possibly  have 
any  objection  to  my  dining  with  my  country's 
diplomatic  representative.  I  will  speak  to  him, 
however,  and  tell  him  when  to  order  my  carriage," 


22  Parlous  Times 

and  she  passed  into  the  next  room.  Though  un- 
perceived  himself,  the  Secretary  saw  reflected  in 
a  great  mirror  the  scene  that  followed  ;  her  proud 
reserve  as  she  delivered  her  dictum  to  her  hus- 
band, his  gesture  of  impatient  anger,  and  the  look 
which  attended  it ;  and  finally  the  contempt  with 
which  she  turned  her  back  on  him  and  swept  out 
of  the  room.  A  moment  later  she  was  by  Stan- 
ley's side,  saying : — 

"  Will  you  take  me  to  your  guests  ?  " 

As  she  entered  the  reception  room  on  the  Sec- 
retary's arm,  he  trembled  with  evident  agitation. 
Her  marvellous  beauty,  the  wonderful  charm  of 
her  voice  and  manner  brought  to  mind  only  too 
vividly  a  realising  sense  of  something  he  had  once 
hoped  for — of  something  which,  of  late,  he  had 
tried  to  forget.  Yet  he  was  about  to  give  a  din- 
ner to  a  lady  whose  future  relations  with  himself 
had  been  a  subject  of  debate  for  some  months, 
not  only  in  his  own  mind,  but  in  the  minds  of  his 
friends. 

Miss  Fitzgerald  was  the  guest  of  the  evening, 
and,  it  must  be  allowed,  was  one  of  the  most  win- 
some,  heart-wrecking,  Irish  girls  that  ever  de- 
lighted the  gaze  of  a  youth.  She  was  tall,  fair, 
and  almost  too  slim  for  perfection  of  form,  though 
possessed  of  a  lissomeness  of  body  that  more  than 
compensated  for  this  lack,  and  she  had,  in  addi- 
tion, the  frankest  pair  of  blue  eyes,  and  the  most 
gorgeous  halo  of  golden  hair,  that  could  well  be 
imagined. 

She   was    possessed  of   a  legendary  family  in 


Wanted — A  Chaperon  23 

Ireland,  and  numerous  sets  of  relations,  who, 
though  not  very  closely  connected,  were  much  in 
evidence  in  the  social  world  of  London.  She  had, 
however,  no  settled  abiding  place,  and  no  visible 
means  of  support.  She  was  sparkling,  light- 
hearted,  and  perfect  dare-devil,  and  the  town  rang 
with  the  histories  of  her  exploits.  All  the  men 
were  devoted  to  her,  and  as  a  result,  she  was  cor- 
dially hated  by  all  the  dowagers,  because  she 
effectively  spoiled  the  chances  of  dozens  of  other 
less  vivacious  but  more  eligible  debutantes.  The 
remainder  of  the  guests  were  brought  together 
rather  by  circumstance  than  by  design.  Kent- 
Lauriston  had  been  especially  invited,  because 
the  Secretary  knew  him  to  be  greatly  prejudiced 
against  the  fascinating  Belle,  with  regard  to  any 
matrimonial  intentions  she  might  be  fostering. 
Miss  Fitzgerald  herself  had  suggested  the  Lieu- 
tenant, and  the  Lieutenant  had  opportunely 
hinted  that  his  distant  connection  Lady  Isabelle 
did  not  know  Miss  Fitzgerald,  and  as  they  were 
all  to  meet  in  a  country  house  in  Sussex  at  the 
end  of  the  week,  perhaps  it  would  be  pleasanter 
to  become  acquainted  beforehand. 

At  Madame  Darcy's  coming,  such  a  feeling  of 
relief  was  made  manifest  that  her  task  would  have 
been  light,  had  not  her  charm  of  manner  served 
to  put  all  immediately  at  their  ease.  The  ladies 
welcomed  her  warmly  as  a  solution  of  an  embar- 
rassing situation,  and  with  men  she  was  always  a 
favourite,  so  the  little  party  lost  no  time  in  seek- 
ing  their  already  belated  dinner. 


24  Parlous  Times 

At  first,  indeed,  there  was  a  little  constraint, 
owing  to  the  fact  that  Lady  Isabelle,  a  type  of 
the  frigid  high-class  British  maiden,  was  disposed 
to  assume  an  icy  reserve  towards  Miss  Fitzger- 
ald, a  young  lady  of  whom  she  and  her  mother, 
a  dragon  among  dowagers,  thoroughly  disap- 
proved. 

The  conversation  was  desultory,  as  is  mostly 
the  case  at  dinners,  and  not  till  the  champagne 
had  been  passed  for  the  second  time  did  it  be- 
come general,  then  it  turned  upon  racing. 

"  You  were  at  Ascot,  I  suppose  ?  "  asked  Miss 
Fitzgerald  of  Madame  Darcy. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  she  replied.  "  They  are  very  amus- 
ing— your  English  races." 

She  spoke  with  just  the  slightest  shade  of 
foreign  intonation,  which  rendered  her  speech 
charming.  "  I  was  on  half  a  coach  with  four 
horses." 

"  What  became  of  the  other  half?  "  queried  the 
Lieutenant. 

"  That  is  not  what  you  call  it — it  is  not  a 
pull ?  "  she  ventured,  a  little  shy  at  their  evi- 
dent amusement. 

"  Perhaps  you  mean  a  drag,"  suggested  Stanley, 
coming  to  the  rescue. 

"  Yes,  that  is  it,"  she  laughed,  a  bewitching 
little  laugh,  clear  as  a  bell,  adding,  "  I  knew  it  was 
something  it  did  not  do." 

"  I  always  go  in  the  Royal  Enclosure,"  mur- 
mured Miss  Fitzgerald  languidly,  turning  her 
gaze  on  the  Secretary,  while  she  toyed  with  the 


Wanted — A  Chaperon  25 

course  then  before  her.  "  It's  beastly  dull,  but 
then  one  must  do  the  correct  thing." 

It  was  a  very  simple  game  she  was  playing — • 
quite  pathetic  in  its  simplicity — but  dangerous  in 
the  presence  of  Lady  Isabelle,  in  whose  veins  a 
little  of  the  dragon  blood  certainly  ran,  as  well  as 
a  great  deal  that  was  blue,  and  Miss  Fitzgerald's 
assumption  was  a  gage  of  battle  not  to  be  disre- 
garded. 

"  Really.  I  gave  up  the  Enclosure  several 
years  ago.  It  is  getting  so  common  nowadays," 
said  her  Ladyship,  growing  a  degree  more  frigid 
while  the  Irish  girl  flushed. 

"  Perhaps  Miss  Fitzgerald  enjoyed  a  run  of 
luck  to  compensate  her  for  the  assemblage  ? " 
suggested  Kent-Lauriston  drily. 

"  No,"  responded  that  young  lady.  ll  I  came  a 
beastly  cropper." 

"  That  was  too  bad  for  you,"  he  replied. 

"  Or  somebody  else,"  suggested  the  Lieutenant, 
and  amidst  a  burst  of  laughter  Miss  Fitzgerald 
regained  her  good  humour. 

"  Possibly  our  host  had  better  luck,"  ventured 
Kent-Lauriston. 

"  Oh,  His  Diplomacy  never  bets,"  laughed  Miss 
Fitzgerald.  "  He  is  much  too  busy  hatching  plots 
at  the  Legation." 

"  I  protest !  "  cried  that  gentleman.  "  Don't 
you  believe  them,  Madame  Darcy,  I'm  entirely 
harmless." 

"  Yes?  "  she  said.  "  I  thought  one  must  never 
believe  a  diplomat." 


26  Parlous  Times 

"  Oh,  at  the  present  day,  and  in  a  country  like 
England,  our  duties  are  very  prosaic." 

"  Come  now,  confess,"  cried  Miss  Fitzgerald, 
laughing.  "  Haven't  you  some  delightfully  mys- 
terious intrigue  on  hand,  that  you  either  spend 
your  days  in  concealing  from  your  brother  dip- 
lomats, or  are  dying  to  find  out,  as  the  case 
may  be  ?  " 

"  I'm  sorry  to  disappoint  you,"  he  replied 
gravely,  "  but  my  duties  and  tastes  are  not  in 
the  least  romantic." 

"  At  least,  not  in  the  direction  of  diplomacy," 
murmured  the  Lieutenant,  giving  the  waiter  a 
directive  glance  towards  his  empty  champagne 
glass. 

"You  have  a  beautiful  country,  Miss  Fitz- 
gerald," came  the  soft  voice  of  Madame  Darcy, 
who  had  heard  the  aside,  and  was  sorry  for  the 
young  girl  at  whom  it  was  directed. 

"  Oh,  Ireland,  you  mean.     Yes,  I  love  it." 

"  We  are  mostly  Irish  here,"  laughed  Lieuten- 
ant Kingsland.  "  One  of  my  ancestors  carried  a 
blackthorn,  and  Miss  Belle  Fitzgerald." 

"  Belle  Fitzgerald  !  "  she  said, starting  and  look- 
ing keenly  at  the  Irish  girl,  who  turned  towards 
her  as  her  name  was  mentioned,  "are  you  the 
Belle  Fitzgerald  who  knows  my  husband,  Colonel 
Darcy — so — well " 

"  Your  husband?"  she  said  slowly,  looking 
Madame  Darcy  straight  in  the  face.  "  Your  hus- 
band ?  No,  I  have  never  met  your  husband.  I 
do  not  know  him." 


Wanted — A  Chaperon  27 

Lieutenant  Kingsland,  seeing  the  attention  of 
the  company  diverted  from  his  direction,  half 
closed  his  eyes,  and  softly  drew  in  his  breath. 
Just  then  the  orchestra  made  an  hejira  to  the 
drawing-room,  and  the  little  party  hastened  to 
follow  in  its  footsteps,  in  search  of  more  music, 
liqueurs,  coffee,  cigarettes,  and  the  most  com- 
fortable corner. 

"  My  dear  Jim,"  expostulated  his  guest  of 
honour,  half  an  hour  later,  "  there  is  not  a  drop 
of  green  Chartreuse,  and  you  know  I  never  drink 
the  yellow.  Do  be  a  good  boy  and  run  over  to 
the  dining-room,  and  persuade  the  steward  to 
give  us  some." 

As  he  rose  and  left  them,  obedient  to  the  Irish 
girl's  request,  she  leaned  over  to  Kingsland,  who 
was  seated  next  her,  and  handing  him  a  square 
envelope,  said  quietly,  and  in  a  low  voice  : — 

"  I  want  this  given  to  Colonel  Darcy  before 
Stanley  returns — his  party  is  still  in  the  dining- 
room.  Don't  let  our  crowd  see  you  take  it." 

"  Oh,  I  say,"  he  expostulated,  inspecting  the 
missive  which  was  blank  and  undirected,  "  it's  a 
risky  thing  to  do,  especially  in  the  face  of  the 
whopper  you  just  told  his  wife  about  not  knowing 
him." 

"  I  had  to,  '  Dottie  ' — I  had  indeed — she's  so 
jealous  she  would  tear  the  eyes  out  of  any  woman 
who  ventured  to  speak  to  him." 

"  I  won't  do  anything  for  you  if  you  call  me 
'  Dottie.'  You  know  I  hate  it." 

"  Well,  Jack  then — dear  Jack — do  it  to  please 


28  Parlous  Times 

me  and  don't  stand  there  talking.  Stanley  may 
return  any  minute." 

"All  right,  I'll  go." 

"  And  don't  flourish  that  envelope,  it's  most 
important  and — it's  too  late." 

"  The  Chartreuse  is  coming,"  broke  in  the  Sec- 
retary. "  I  met  the  steward  in  the  hall — a  letter 
to  be  posted  ?"  he  continued,  seeing  the  missive, 
which  the  Lieutenant  held  blankly  in  his  hand. 
"  Give  it  to  me,  and  I'll  attend  to  it." 

A  sharper  man  might  have  saved  the  situation, 
but  sharpness  was  not  one  of  Kingsland's  attri- 
butes, and  dazed  by  the  sudden  turn  of  affairs,  he 
allowed  Stanley  to  take  the  letter. 

"  Why,  it's  not  addressed  !  "  he  exclaimed,  ex- 
amining the  envelope  which  bore  no  mark  save 
the  initials  A.  R.  in  blue,  on  the  flap.  "  Whom  is 
it  to  go  to?" 

"  I  don't  know,"  replied  the  Lieutenant,  shame- 
facedly. 

"  Where  did  it  come  from?  " 

"  Kingsland  looked  about  for  help  or  an  inspira- 
tion, and  finding  neither  fell  back  on  the  same 
form  of  words,  repeating,  "  I  don't  know." 

Miss  Fitzgerald  had  started  up  on  the  impulse 
of  the  moment,  but  sank  back  in  her  seat  as  the 
Secretary  said,  slipping  the  missive  into  the  inside 
pocket  of  his  dress-coat  :— 

"  I  am  afraid  I  must  constitute  myself  a  dead- 
letter  office,  and  hold  this  mysterious  document 
till  called  for." 


CHAPTER  III 

PARLOUS    TIMES 

"  WE  are  living  in  parlous  times,"  said  the 
Chief  Confidential  Clerk,  of  the  Departmental 
Head  of  the  South  American  Section  of  Her 
Majesty's  Foreign  Office. 

Mr.  Stanley,  Secretary  of  South  American  Le- 
gation, bowed  and  said  nothing.  Inwardly,  he 
wondered  just  what  "  parlous"  meant,  and  made 
a  mental  note  to  look  it  up  in  a  dictionary  on  the 
first  opportunity  that  offered. 

The  Chief  Confidential  Clerk  was  the  most 
genial  of  men,  who  always  impressed  one  with 
the  feeling  that,  diplomatic  as  he  might  be  at  all 
other  times,  this  was  the  particular  moment  when 
he  would  relax  his  vigilance  and  unburden  his 
official  heart.  As  a  result,  those  who  came  to 
unearth  his  secrets  generally  ended  by  telling  him 
theirs. 

In  this  instance  neither  of  the  speakers  knew 
anything  of  the  subject  in  hand,  a  treaty  relating 
to  the  possession  of  a  sand  bar  at  the  mouth  of 
a  certain  South  American  river.  A  matter  said 
to  have  had  its  rise  in  a  fit  of  royal  indigestion,  in 
the  sixteenth  century.  Somehow  it  had  never 

29 


3o  Parlous  Times 

been  settled.  Each  new  ministry,  each  new  rev- 
olutionary government  was  "  bound  to  see  it 
through,"  and  the  treaty  was  constantly  on  the 
verge  of  being  "  brought  to  an  amicable  conclu- 
sion," just  as  it  had  been  for  nearly  three  hundred 
years. 

The  fate  of  nations  had,  in  short,  drifted  on 
that  sand-bar  and  stuck  fast,  at  least  the  fate  of 
one  nation  and  the  clemency  of  another. 

The  Chief  Confidential  Clerk  was  not  conscious 
that  he  was  really  ignorant  of  the  subject  in  hand 
— no  true  diplomat  ever  is — the  young  Secretary 
was  painfully  aware  of  his  own  unenlighten- 
ment. 

"  You  are  to  understand,"  his  Minister  had 
said,  "  that  you  know  nothing  concerning  the 
status  of  the  Treaty." 

"  But,  I  do  not  know  anything,  Your  Excel- 
lency," admitted  the  Secretary. 

"  So  much  the  better,"  replied  the  Minister, 
"  for  then  you  cannot  talk  about  it." 

The  result  of  this  state  of  affairs  was,  that  at 
the  end  of  half  an  hour  the  Chief  Confidential 
Clerk  had  discovered  that  the  Secretary  knew 
nothing,  while  the  Secretary  had  discovered — 
nothing. 

"We  are  living  in  parlous  times,"  said  the 
English  official,  "  parlous  times,  Mr.  Stanley." 

Then  his  lunch  arrived,  and  the  interview 
closed  in  consequence. 

"  I  wonder,"  said  the  Secretary,  half  to  himself 
and  half  to  the  horse,  as  he  trundled  clubwards 


Parlous  Times  31 

in  a  hansom,  "  I  wonder  if  I  could  write  out  a 
report  of  that  last  remark  ;  it  might  mean  so  much 
— or  so  little." 

Stanley  did  not  worry  much  over  his  failure  to 
extract  information  at  the  Foreign  Office,  because 
he  was  much  more  worried  over  deciding  whether 
he  was  really  in  love  with  Belle  Fitzgerald. 

That  young  lady  had  been  the  cause  of  much 
anxiety  to  all  those  friends  who  had  his  interests 
at  heart,  and  from  whom  he  had  received  advice 
and  covert  suggestions,  all  tending  to  uphold  the 
joys  of  a  bachelor  existence  as  compared  with  the 
uncertainties  of  married  life.  They  had  spoken 
with  no  uncertain  voice.  It  was  he  who  had 
wavered,  to-day,  believing  that  she  was  the  one 
woman  on  earth  for  him  ;  to-morrow,  sure  that 
it  was  merely  infatuation.  Now  his  decision  had 
been  forced.  He  was  invited  to  a  house-party  at 
her  aunt's,  Mrs.  Roberts ;  Belle  would  be  there, 
and  if  he  accepted,  he  would,  in  all  probability, 
never  leave  Roberts'  Hall  a  free  man. 

Miss  Fitzgerald  and  the  Secretary  had  seen  a 
great  deal  of  each  other  during  the  season  just 
drawing  to  a  close.  At  first,  as  he  assured  him- 
self and  his  friends,  it  was  merely  "  hail,  fellow, 
well  met,"  but  when  he  came  to  know  the  Irish 
girl  better,  their  relations  assumed  a  different 
significance,  as  he  gradually  realised  the  isolated 
position  she  occupied.  Interest  had  changed  to 
pity.  He  regretted  that,  for  lack  of  guidance, 
she  seemed  to  be  her  own  worst  enemy,  and 
feared  that  her  really  sweet  nature  might  be  hard- 


32  Parlous  Times 

ened  or  embittered  from  contact  with  the  world. 
He  told  himself  he  must  decide  at  once  whether 
he  loved  this  wilful  girl,  and  should  ask  her  to 
give  him  the  right  to  protect  her  from  the  world 
and  from  herself. 

Yet  Stanley  was  keenly  sensitive  of  the  rashness 
of  the  step  he  contemplated.  The  sweet  bells  of 
memory  ring  out  whether  land  or  sea  separates 
us.  In  spite  of  much  honest  effort  on  his  part, 
the  picture  of  a  beautiful  face  could  not  be  ban- 
ished from  his  mind.  Now,  just  when  he  was 
convincing  himself  that  he  could  put  the  past  be- 
hind him,  Inez  crossed  his  path  again. 

He  grew  bitter  at  the  thought.  "  She  did  not 
trust  me.  She  never  loved  me  or  she  could  not 
have  married  that  scoundrel,  Darcy.  It  is  all 
over  now — and  Belle  needs  a  protector." 

On  the  other  hand,  he  realised  how  many  rea- 
sons opposed  such  a  course  of  action.  His  father, 
his  colleagues,  and  society,  demanded  something 
better  of  him.  That  very  social  position  which 
had  put  him  in  the  way  of  meeting  his  inamorata 
required  of  him  in  return  that  he  should  not 
make  a  mesalliance,  while  sober,  common,  sense 
assured  him  with  an  irritating  persistence  that 
the  world  could  not  be  persuaded  to  perceive  that 
Miss  Fitzgerald  had  any  of  the  necessary  qualifi- 
cations for  the  position  which  he  proposed  to 
give  her.  But  he  was  young  and  high-spirited, 
and  these  very  limitations  which  society  imposed, 
irritated  him  into  a  desire  to  do  something  rash. 
He  was  still,  however,  possessed  of  a  substratum 


Parlous  Times  33 

of  worldly  wisdom,  and  knowing  that  left  to  his 
own  devices  he  would  certainly  go  to  Mrs.  Rob- 
erts', regardless  of  what  might  follow,  he  resolved 
to  give  himself  one  more  chance.  If  he  could 
not  guide  himself,  he  might,  in  this  crisis,  be 
guided  by  the  stronger  will  of  another.  He  de- 
termined to  ask  advice  of  his  friend  Kent-Lauris- 
ton. 

In  a  case  of  this  sort,  Lionel  Kent-Lauriston 
was  thoroughly  in  his  element,  having  assisted  at 
hundreds  of  the  little  comedies  and  tragedies  of 
life,  which  do  more  to  determine  the  future  of 
men  and  women  than  any  great  crisis. 

His  creed  may  be  summed  up  in  the  fact  that 
he  loved  all  things  to  be  done  "  decently  and  in 
order."  In  a  word  he  was  a  connoisseur  of  life, 
and  the  good  things  thereof.  Unobtrusive/always 
harmonious,  he  knew  everyone  worth  knowing, 
went  everywhere  worth  going.  Lucky  the  youth 
who  had  him  for  his  guide,  philosopher  and  friend. 
He  could  show  him  life's  pleasantest  paths. 

Stanley  was  one  of  these  favoured  few.  They 
had  met  soon  after  he  came  to  England,  and  the 
younger  man  had  conceived  a  genuine  admiration 
for  the  older. 

It  seems  hardly  necessary  to  say,  that  Kent- 
Lauriston,  though  (or  because)  a  bachelor,  was  an 
authority  on  matchmaking.  He  had  reduced  it 
to  a  fine  art.  His  keen  eye  saw  the  subtle  dis- 
tinction between  the  vulgar  buying  and  selling  of 
a  woman,  with  the  consequent  desecration  of  the 
marriage  service,  and  the  blind  love,  which,  hot- 
3 


34  Parlous  Times 

headed,  sacrifices  all  the  considerations  of  wisdom 
to  the  passion  of  the  hour. 

"  Never  marry  without  love,"  he  would  say, 
"  but  learn  to  love  wisely." 

It  was  to  this  man  that  the  Secretary  deter- 
mined  to  make  confession.  Kent-Lauriston,  he 
was  sure,  did  not  approve  of  the  match  and  would 
use  his  strongest  arguments  to  dissuade  him  from 
it.  Stanley  knew  this  was  the  moral  tonic  he 
needed.  He  did  not  believe  it  would  be  success- 
ful, but  he  determined  to  give  it  a  fair  trial. 

The  Secretary  reached  his  decision  and  his  des- 
tination at  one  and  the  same  moment,  and  feeling 
that  his  good  resolutions  would  be  the  better  sus- 
tained by  a  little  nutriment,  made  his  way  to  the 
luncheon  table  for  which  this  particular  club  was 
justly  famous;  indeed,  few  people  patronised  it 
for  anything  else,  situated  as  it  was,  almost  within 
city  limits,  and  boasting,  as  its  main  attraction, 
an  excellent  view  of  the  most  uninteresting  por- 
tion of  the  Thames. 

Happening  to  look  in  the  smoking-room,  on  his 
way  upstairs,  Stanley  caught  sight  of  Lieutenant 
Kingsland. 

"  Hello  !  "  he  said.     "  You  lunching  here  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,"  returned  the  other,  laughing 
uneasily.  "  I'm  inclined  to  think  not.  Viscount 
Chilsworth  asked  me  to  meet  him  here  to-day ; 
but,  as  he's  half  an  hour  late  already " 

"  You  think  your  luncheon  is  rather  problema- 
tical?" 

"  I  was  just  coming  to  that  conclusion." 


Parlous  Times  35 

"  Make  it  a  certainty,  then,  and  lunch  with 
me." 

"  My  dear  fellow,  you  forget  that  I  dined  with 
you  last  night." 

"  What  of  that  ?  When  I  first  came  to  Lon- 
don, I  was  told  that  an  English  club  was  a  place 
where  one  went  to  be  alone — but  I  prefer  com- 
pany to  custom." 

"  Yes — but  there  are  limits  to  imposing  on  a 
friend's  hospitality.  While  I'm  about  it,  I  might 
as  well  share  your  breakfast  and  bed." 

"  Not  the  latter,  in  any  event,  as  long  as  I'm 
in  small  bachelor  quarters." 

The  Lieutenant  laughed. 

"Well,  then,"  he  began,  "if  you'll  forgive 
me " 

"  There's  one  thing  I  won't  forgive  you,"  in- 
terrupted the  Secretary,  "  and  that  is  keeping  me 
a  moment  longer  from  my  lunch,  for  I'm  raven- 
ously hungry.  I  just  want  to  send  a  telegram 
to  Kent-Lauriston,  asking  him  to  meet  me 
at  the  club  this  afternoon,  and  then  I'll  be  with 
you." 

Once  they  were  settled  at  the  table  and  the 
orders  given,  their  conversation  turned  to  general 
subjects. 

"  I  suppose  we'll  all  meet  at  the  end  of  the  week 
in  Sussex,"  said  the  Lieutenant. 

"Yes,"  replied  Stanley,  "  at  Mrs.  Roberts'." 

"  Is  it  to  be  a  large  party  ?  '' 

"  I  don't  imagine  so.  Sort  of  house-warming. 
They've  just  inherited  the  estate.  Belle  Fitz- 


36  Parlous  Times 

gerald,  you  and  I,  and  the  Port  Arthurs — I  don't 
know  who  else." 

"  That  reminds  me,"  exclaimed  Kingsland,  "  I 
must  hurry  through  lunch.  I  promised  the  Mar- 
chioness I'd  do  a  picture  exhibition  with  her  Lady- 
ship at  three,  and  it's  nearly  two,  now." 

"  Under  orders  as  usual,  I  see,"  said  his  host, 
and  the  Lieutenant  shrugged  his  shoulders  and 
looked  sheepish.  He  was  weak,  impecunious, 
handsome  and  dashing,  and  rumour  said  just  a 
bit  wild,  and,  moreover,  was  known  throughout 
the  social  world  of  London  as  the  tame  cat  of 
the  Dowager  Marchioness  of  Port  Arthur ;  a  very 
distant  relative  of  his,  and  as  the  especially  privi- 
leged companion  of  her  only  daughter,  Lady 
Isabelle  McLane,  on  the  tacit  understanding  that 
he  would  never  so  far  forget  himself  as  to  aspire 
to  that  daughter's  hand. 

"  I  say,"  remarked  that  officer,  who  did  not 
relish  the  turn  which  the  conversation  had  taken, 
"  tell  me  something  about  your  country." 

"  Do  you  desire  a  complete  geographical  and 
political  disquisition  ?  "  asked  the  Secretary,  laugh- 
ing. 

"Hardly.     What's  it  like?  " 

"  The  climate  and  Government  of  my  country 
are  both  tropical." 

"  I  suppose  you  mean  intense,  and  subject  to 
violent  changes." 

The  Secretary  looked  out  of  the  window  at 
the  most  uninteresting  view  of  the  Thames, 
saying : 


Parlous  Times  37 

"  I  think  we're  going  to  have  a  thunderstorm." 

"  Am  I  to  take  that  remark  in  a  political  sense  ?  " 
inquired  the  Lieutenant. 

"  I  don't  believe  I've  told  you,"  said  his  host 
abruptly,  discontinuing  an  inopportune  subject, 
"  that  I'm  a  South  American  only  by  force  of 
circumstances.  My  parents  were  born  in  the 
States." 

"  My  dear  fellow,"  Kingsland  hastened  to  as- 
sure him,  "  I  never  had  the  least  intention  of  pry- 
ing into  your  affairs,  domestic  or  diplomatic.  I 
was  merely  wondering  if  the  country  you  repre- 
sent brought  forth  any  staple  products,  which 
would  yield  a  profitable  return  to  foreign  invest- 
ment?" 

The  Secretary  mentioned  one — which  was  said 
to  be  connected  prominently  with  the  treaty 
which  was  the  subject  of  his  recent  visit  to  the 
Foreign  Office — and  so  was  naturally  uppermost 
in  his  mind — "but,"  he  added,  "that  staple  is 
practically  a  monopoly,  controlled  by  a  firm  of 
manufacturers,  whose  headquarters  are  in  Lon- 
don, and,  unless  they  fail,  the  outside  public  would 
have  little  chance  in  the  same  field." 

"  I  suppose  their  failure  is  hardly  likely." 

"  I'm  not  so  sure  of  that — it  all  depends  on  a 
treaty  now  pending  between  your  Government 
and  mine.  Frankly,  if  I  had  any  money  to  in- 
vest, I  would  not  expend  it  in  that  direction." 

"  Thank  you.  By  the  way,  if  your  land  doesn't 
produce  good  investments,  it  certainly  brings 
forth  beautiful  women.  What  wonderful  beauty 


38  Parlous  Times 

that  Madame  Darcy  has,  who  dined  with  us  last 
night." 

"  Our  fathers  are  old  friends,"  replied  Stanley. 

"  Ah,  what  a  pity,"  said  the  Lieutenant. 

"  I  don't  understand." 

"  That  she  should  not  have  married  you,  I  mean, 
instead  of  that  bounder  Darcy.  I  have  heard  his 
name  more  than  once  in  official  circles,  and  there's 
precious  little  to  be  said  in  his  favour.  But  his 
wife — ah,  there's  a  woman  any  man  might  be 
proud  to  marry.  Such  beauty,  such  refinement, 
so  much  reserve.  Rather  a  contrast  to  our  fasci- 
nating Belle,  eh?" 

"  I  have  the  greatest  respect  for  Miss  Fitz- 
gerald," said  the  Secretary  stiffly. 

"Yes,  but  not  of  the  marriageable  quality," 
said  the  Lieutenant,  speaking  ex  cathedra  as  one 
who  had  also  been  in  the  fair  Irish  girl's  train. 
"  Oh  no,  my  dear  fellow,  a  woman  of  Madame 
Darcy 's  type  is  the  woman  for  you.  The  Fitz- 
gerald, believe  me,  would  break  a  man's  heart  or 
his  bank  account,  in  no  time." 

"  Look  here,"  said  Stanley  shortly,  "  I  don't 
like  that  sort  of  thing." 

"  Don't  turn  nasty,  old  chap,"  said  Kingsland. 
"  I'm  only  speaking  for  your  good.  I'd  be  the 
last  man  to  run  down  a  woman.  I  love  the  whole 
sex,  and  the  little  Fitzgerald  is  no  end  jolly,  to 
play  with,  but  to  marry — !  By  the  way,  have 
you  heard  of  her  latest  exploit.  The  town's  ring- 
ing with  it.  She " 

"  Thanks,  I'd  rather  not  hear  it,"  replied  the 


Parlous  Times  39 

Secretary,  who  just  now  was  trying  to  forget  some 
phases  of  her  nature. 

"  By  Jove  !  "  broke  in  the  Lieutenant — "  speak- 
ing of  angels — there  she  is  now." 

"  What,  down  in  this  section  of  the  city  ?  " 

"  Yes,  in  a  hansom  cab." 

"  An  angel  in  a  hansom ! "  cried  the  Secre- 
tary, "  that's  certainly  a  combination  worth  see- 
ing," and  rising,  he  stepped  to  the  window,  fol- 
lowed by  Kingsland.  The  two  men  were  just  in 
time  to  see  the  lady  in  question  dash  by  along  the 
Embankment,  and  to  note  that  she  was  not  alone. 
Indeed,  even  the  fleeting  glimpse  which  they 
caught  of  her  companion  was  sufficiently  startling 
to  engrave  his  likeness  indelibly  on  their  minds. 

He  was  an  oldish  man,  of  say  sixty,  clad  in  a 
nondescript  grey  suit  of  no  distinguishable  style 
or  date,  surmounted  by  a  soft  felt  hat  of  the  type 
which  distinguished  Americans  are  said  to  affect 
in  London,  while  his  high  cheek  bones  and  prom- 
inent nose  might  have  given  him  credit  for  having 
Indian  blood  in  his  veins,  had  not  his  dead  white 
skin  belied  the  charge.  He  was  possessed,  more- 
over, of  huge  bushy  brows,  beneath  which  a  fer- 
ret's keen  eyes  peeped  out,  and  were  never  for  an 
instant  still. 

"  Gad  !  "  exclaimed  the  Lieutenant,  "  this  prom- 
ises to  be  the  strangest  escapade  of  all." 

"  Who  the  devil  is  he  ?  "  demanded  Stanley, 
facing  around,  with  almost  an  accusing  note  in 
his  voice. 

The  Lieutenant  returned  his  glance  squarely. 


4o  Parlous  Times 

"Why,  he's  the  man  who  gave  her — I  mean, 
who  was  talking  to  her  last  night  at  the  Hyde 
Park  Club." 

"  Last  night  ?     I  don't  remember  seeing  him." 

"  It  was  when  you  were  waltzing  up  and  down 
stairs  in  search  of  a  chaperon." 

"Who  is  he?" 

"  Don't  know,  I'm  sure,"  replied  the  Lieutenant 
brusquely,  lighting  a  cigarette,  and  thrusting  his 
hands  in  his  trousers'  pockets. 

"  But  you  must  have  some  idea?" 

"  Never  saw  him  before  last  night,  I  assure  you. 
Must  be  off  now,  old  chap.  Late  for  my  appoint- 
ment already.  Thanks  awfully  for  the  lunch. 
See  you  at  Lady  Rainsford's  tea  this  afternoon  ? 
Yes.  All  right.  Hansom  ! " 

And  he  was  gone. 


CHAPTER  IV 

A  LADY  IN    DISTRESS 

AFTER  lunch  the  Secretary  returned  to  the 
Legation  and  made  out  his  report  to  his  Minister, 
concerning  the  treaty.  He  had  looked  up  the 
word  "  parlous  "  in  the  dictionary,  and  found  that 
it  meant,  "  whimsical,  tricky," — a  sinister  inter- 
pretation he  felt,  when  connected  with  anything 
diplomatic  ;  moreover  the  Foreign  Office  was  dis- 
tressingly uninformed  on  the  subject,  another 
reason  for  suspicion.  Yet,  as  far  as  he  knew — 
only  the  mere  formalities  of  settlement  remained, 
the  ratification  by  vote  of  his  home  Government 
— the  exchange  of  protocols — and  behold  it  was 
accomplished — much  to  the  credit  of  his  Minister 
and  the  satisfaction  of  all  concerned.  Doubtless 
the  visit  was  nothing  more  than  a  bit  of  routine 
work,  and  his  private  affairs  seeming  for  the  time 
more  important,  he  dismissed  it  from  his  mind  as 
not  worthy  of  serious  consideration,  and  compiled 
an  elaborate  report  of  three  pages,  not  forgetting 
to  mention  the  arrival  of  the  Chief  Clerk's  lunch, 
as  matter  which  might  legitimately  be  used  to  fill 
up  space.  This  done,  he  was  about  to  leave  the 
office  in  order  to  meet  his  appointment  with 
Kent-Layriston,  when  John,  the  genial  function- 


42  Parlous  Times 

ary  of  the  Legation,  beamed  upon  him  from  the 
door,  presenting  him  a  visiting  card,  and  inform- 
ing him  that  a  lady  was  waiting  in  the  ante-room. 

"  An'  she's  that  'ansome,  sir,  it  would  do  your 
eyes  good  to  see  'er." 

The  Secretary  answered  somewhat  testily  that 
his  eyes  were  in  excellent  condition  as  it  was,  and 
that  the  lady  did  not  deserve  to  be  seen  at  all  for 
coming  so  much  after  office-hours,  and  delaying 
him  just  as  he  was  about  to  keep  an  appointment 
— then  his  eyes  happened  to  fall  on  the  card  and 
his  tone  changed  at  once. 

"Madame  Darcy ! "  he  exclaimed.  "Why, 
what  can  have  brought  her  to  see  me ! — John, 
show  the  lady  in  at  once,  and — say  my  time  is 
quite  at  her  service." 

A  glance  at  his  fair  chaperon  of  the  night  be- 
fore, as  she  entered  the  room,  told  him  that  she 
was  in  great  trouble,  and  he  sprang  forward  to 
take  both  her  hands  in  his,  with  a  warmth  of 
greeting  which  he  would  have  found  it  hard  to 
justify,  except  on  an  occasion  of  such  evident 
sorrow. 

"  Inez — Madame  Darcy,"  he  said,  leading  her 
to  his  most  comfortable  armchair — "  this  is  indeed 
a  pleasure — but  do  not  tell  me  that  you  are  in 
distress." 

"  I  am  in  very  great  trouble." 

"  Anything  that  I  can  do  to  serve  you — I  need 
hardly  say,"  he  murmured,  and  paused,  fascinated 
by  this  picture  of  lovely  grief. 

"  I  was  prompted  to  come  to  you,"  she  replied, 


A  Lady  in  Distress  43 

"  by  your  kindness  of  last  evening,  for  I  knew 
you  had  seen  and  understood,  and  were  still  my 
friend,  and  also  my  national  representative  in  a 
foreign  land,  to  ask  your  aid  for  a  poor  country, 
woman  who  is  in  danger  of  being  deprived  of  her 
freedom,  if  not  of  her  reason." 

"  But  surely  you  are  not  speaking  of  yourself !  " 

"  Yes,  of  myself." 

The  young  diplomat  said  nothing  fora  moment 
or  two,  he  was  arranging  his  ideas — adjusting 
them  to  this  new  and  interesting  phase  of  his  ex- 
perience with  Madame  Darcy. 

As  a  Secretary  of  Legation  is  generally  the 
father  confessor  of  his  compatriots — he  had  ceased 
to  be  surprised  at  anything.  People  may  deceive 
their  physician,  their  lawyer,  or  the  partner  of 
their  joys  and  sorrows  ;  but  to  their  country's 
representative  in  a  strange  land  they  unburden 
their  hearts. 

"  Tell  me,"  he  said  finally,  breaking  the  silence, 
"  just  what  your  trouble  is." 

"  I  need  sympathy  and  help." 

"  The  first  you  have  already,"  he  replied  with 
a  special  reserve  in  his  manner,  for  he  felt  some- 
how that  it  was  hardly  fair  that  she  should  bring 
herself  to  his  notice  again,  when  he  had  almost 
made  up  his  mind  to  marry  a  lady  of  whom  all 
his  friends  disapproved.  Indeed,  in  the  last  few 
minutes  the  force  of  Kingsland's  remarks  had 
made  themselves  felt  very  strongly,  and  he  es- 
pecially exerted  himself  to  be  brusque,  feeling  in 
an  odd  kind  of  way  that  he  owed  it  to  Miss  Fitz- 


44  Parlous  Times 

gerald.  So  putting  on  his  most  official  tone  he 
added,  "  to  help  you,  Madame  Darcy,  I  must  un- 
derstand your  case  clearly." 

"  Don't  call  me  by  that  name — give  me  my  own 
— as  you  once  did.  My  husband's  a  brute." 

"Quite  so,  undoubtedly;  but  unfortunately 
that  does  not  change  your  name." 

"Would  you  mind  shutting  the  door?"  she 
replied  somewhat  irrelevantly.  They  were,  as  has 
been  said,  in  the  Secretary's  private  office,  a 
dreary  room,  its  furniture,  three  chairs,  a  desk 
and  a  bookcase  full  of  forbidding  legal  volumes, 
its  walls  littered  with  maps,  and  its  one  window 
looking  out  on  the  unloveliness  of  a  London 
business  street. 

As  he  returned  to  his  seat,  after  executing  her 
request,  she  began  abruptly  : — 

"  You're  not  a  South  American." 

"  No,  my  father  was  a  Northerner,  but,  as  you 
know,  he  owned  large  sugar  plantations  in  your 
country,  and  if  training  and  sympathy  can  make 
me  a  South  American,  I  am  one." 

"  You're  a  Protestant." 

"  Yes,  so  are  you." 

"  It  is  my  mother's  faith,  and  though  I  was 
brought  up  in  a  convent  at  New  Orleans,  I've 
not  forsaken  it.  I  feel  easier  in  speaking  to  you 
on  that  account." 

"  You  may  rest  assured,  my  dear,  that  what  you 
say  to  me  will  go  no  farther.  'Tis  my  business 
to  keep  secrets." 

"  Two  years  ago,"  she  began  abruptly,  plung- 


A  Lady  in  Distress  45 

ing  into  her  story,  "  after  our — after  you  left  home, 
an  Englishman,  a  soldier  returning  from  the 
East  incapacitated  by  a  fever,  and  travelling  for 
his  health,  craved  a  night's  rest  at  my  father's 
house.  As  you  know,  in  a  country  like  ours, 
where  decent  inns  are  few  and  far  between,  trav- 
ellers are  always  welcome.  It  was  the  hot  season, 
we  pressed  him  to  stay  for  a  day  or  two,  he  ac- 
cepted, and  a  return  of  the  fever  made  him  our 
guest  for  months.  He  needed  constant  nursing 
— I — I  was  the  only  white  woman  on  the  planta- 
tion." 

"  I  see,"  said  Stanley.  "  You  nursed  him,  he 
recovered,  was  grateful,  paid  you  homage." 

"  Remember  I  was  brought  up  in  a  convent. 
I  was  so  alone  and  so  unhappy.  He  told  me  you 
had  married.  I  believed  him — trusted  him. 

"  Quite  so.  His  name  was  Darcy.  He  is  a 
liar." 

"  He  is — my  husband." 

"  A  gentleman — I  suppose  ?  " 

"  The  world  accords  him  that  title,"  she  replied 
coldly. 

"  I  understand — He's  a  man  of  means?  '* 

"  He  has  nothing  but  his  pay." 

"  And  you — but  that  question  is  unnecessary. 
Senor  De  Costa's  name  and  estates  are  well  known 
— and  you  are  his  only  child." 

"  Yes,  you're  right,"  she  burst  out.  "  It's  my 
money,  my  cursed  money  !  Why  do  men  call  it 
a  blessing!  Oh,  if  I  could  trust  him,  I'd  give 
him  every  penny  of  it.  But  I  cannot,  it's  the  one 


46  Parlous  Times 

hold  I  have  on  him,  and  because  I  will  not  beg- 
gar  myself  to  supply  means  for  his  extravagances 
he  dares " 

"  Not  personal  violence,  surely?  " 

"  To  put  me  away  somewhere — in  a  retreat,  he 
calls  it.  That  means  a  madhouse." 

"  My  dear  Madame  Darcy !  " 

"  Call  me  Inez  De  Costa,  I  will  not  have  that 
name  of  Darcy,  I  hate  it." 

"  My  dear  Inez,  then ;  your  fears  are  ground- 
less; they  can't  put  sane  people  in  madhouses 
any  longer  in  England,  except  in  cheap  fiction — 
it's  against  the  law." 

"  It's  very  easy  for  you  to  sit  there  and  talk  of 
law.  You,  who  are  protected  by  your  office,  but 
for  me,  for  a  poor  woman  whose  liberty  is  threat- 
ened ! " 

"  I  assure  you  that  you're  in  no  such  danger  as 
you  apprehend." 

"  But  if  I  were  put  away,  you  would  help  me  ?  " 

"You  shall  suffer  no  injustice  that  we  can  pre- 
vent. You  may  return  home  and  rest  easy  on 
that  score." 

"  I  shall  never  return  to  that  man." 

"Why  not  return  to  your  father?" 

"Would  that  I  could!"  she  exclaimed,  her 
eyes  brimming  with  tears.  "  But  how  can  I,  with 
no  money  and  no  friends?  " 

"  I  thought  you  said—  "  began  the  Secretary, 
but  his  interruption  was  lost  in  the  flow  of  her 
eloquence. 

"  I've  not  a  penny.     I  can  cash  no  cheque  that's 


A  Lady  in  Distress  47 

not  made  to  his  order,  and  to  come  to  you  I  must 
degrade  myself  by  borrowing  a  sovereign  from  my 
maid.  I've  travelled  third-class ! " 

The  Secretary  smiled  at  the  ante-climax, 
saying : 

"  Many  people  of  large  means  travel  third-class 
habitually." 

"  But  not  a  De  Costa,"  she  broke  in,  and  then 
continued  her  narration  with  renewed  ardour. 

"  I've  no  roof  to  shelter  me  to-night.  No  where 
to  go.  No  clothes  except  what  I  wear.  No  money 
but  those  few  shillings ;  but  I  would  rather  starve 
and  die  in  the  streets  than  go  back  to  him.  I'm 
rich,  I've  powerful  friends.  You  can't  have  the 
heart  to  turn  away  from  me.  Have  you  forgotten 
the  old  friendship  ?  You  must  do  something — 

something  to  save  me "  and  in  the  passion  of 

her  southern  nature  she  threw  herself  at  his  feet, 
and  burst  into  an  agony  of  tears. 

Stanley  assisted  her  to  rise,  got  her  a  glass  of 
water,  and  had  cause,  for  the  second  time  in  that 
interview,  to  thank  his  stars  that  love  had  already 
shot  another  shaft,  because  if  it  were  not  for 
Belle,  his  official  position,  and  the  fact  that  the 
Seflora  had  one  husband  already — well — it  was  a 
relief  to  be  forced  to  tell  her  that  legations  were 
not  charitable  institutions,  and  that  much  as  he 
might  desire  to  aid  her,  neither  he  nor  his  col- 
leagues could  interfere  in  her  private  affairs. 

"  Then  you  refuse  to  assist  me — you  leave  me 
to  my  fate  ! "  she  cried,  starting  up,  a  red  flush  of 
anger  mantling  her  cheek. 


48  Parlous  Times 

"  Not  at  all,"  he  hastened  to  say.  "  On  the 
contrary,  I'm  going  to  help  you  all  I  know  how. 
I  can't  interfere  myself,  but  I  can  refer  you  to  a 
friend  of  mine,  whom  you  can  thoroughly  trust, 
and  who's  in  a  position  to  aid  you  in  the 
matter." 

"And  his  name?" 

"  His  name  is  Peter  Sanks,  the  lawyer  of  the 
Legation,  a  gentleman,  truly  as  well  as  technically. 
A  countryman  of  yours  who  has  practised  both 
here  and  at  home,  and  who  always  feels  a  keen 
interest  in  the  affairs  of  his  compatriots.  He 
has  chambers  in  the  Middle  Temple.  I'll  give 
you  his  address  on  my  card." 

"  You're  most  kind — I'll  throw  myself  without 
delay  on  the  clemency  of  this  Sefior " 

"  Sanks." 

"  Madre  de  Dios  /     What  a  name  !  " 

"  I  dare  say  he  was  Don  Pedro  Sanchez  at 
home,  but  that  would  hardly  go  here.  I've  writ- 
ten him  a  line  on  my  visiting  card,  requesting 
him  to  do  everything  he  can  for  you,  and,  of 
course,  I  need  hardly  say  to  you,  as  a  friend,  not 
as  an  official,  that  my  time  and  service  are  en- 
tirely devoted  to  your  interests.  There  is  nothing 
that  I  possess  which  you  may  not  command." 

"  And  for  me,  you  do  this  ?  "  she  asked,  look- 
ing up  wistfully  in  his  face. 

He  took  her  two  little  hands  in  his,  and  bend- 
ing over,  kissed  the  tips  of  their  fingers. 

"  I  cannot  express  the  gratitude,"  she  began. 

"  Don't,"  he  said,  cutting   short   her   profuse 


A  Lady  in  Distress  49 

thanks.  "  It's  nothing,  I  assure  you.  Here  is  my 
card  to  Sanks.  Better  go  to  him  at  once,  or  you 
may  miss  him.  It's  nearly  three  o'clock."  And 
feeling  that  it  was  unsafe  to  trust  himself  longer 
in  her  presence,  he  touched  the  bell,  saying  to 
the  confidential  clerk  who  answered  it : — 

"  The  door,  John." 

A  moment  later  she  was  gone,  leaving  only  the 
subtle  perfume  of  her  presence  in  the  room. 
Stanley  threw  himself  moodily  into  the  nearest 
chair.  It  was  too  bad  that  this  bewitching  wo- 
man should  be  married  to  a  brute.  It  was  too 
bad  that  he  couldn't  do  more  to  help  her,  and  it 
was — yes,  it  really  was  too  bad,  that  she  should 
have  come  again  into  his  life  just  at  the  present 
moment.  She  was  so  exactly  like  what  he  had 
fancied  the  ideal  woman  he  was  to  marry  ought 
to  be.  But  she  wasn't  a  bit  like  Belle,  and  the 
reflection  was  decidedly  disturbing.  And  now, 
he  supposed,  she  would  get  a  divorce,  and — oh, 
pshaw  !  it  wasn't  his  affair  anyway,  and  he  was 
late  for  his  appointment  with  Kent-Lauriston. 

He  rang  his  office  bell  sharply,  picking  up  his 
hat  and  gloves  as  he  did  so,  and  saying  to  the 
messenger  who  answered  his  summons: — 

"  Give  this  report  to  his  Excellency,  John,  and 

let  me  have  some  visiting  cards,  will  you No, 

no,  not  any  official  ones.  Some  with  my  private 
address  on." 

"  Very  sorry  Sir,  but  they're  all  out.     I  ordered 
some    more    day    before    yesterday,  Sir.     They 
should  have  come  by  now." 
4 


5o  Parlous  Times 

"  Just  my  luck,  why  didn't  you  attend  to  them 
earlier?" 

"  Isn't  there  one  on  your  desk,  Sir.  I'm  sure  I 
saw  one  lying  there  this  morning." 

"Why,  yes,  so  there  was."  And  he  turned 
hastily  back,  only  to  exclaim  after  a  moment's 
hopeless  rummaging : — 

"  Confound  it !  I  must  have  given  it  to  Sefiora 
De  Costa ! " 


CHAPTER  V 

A  GENTLEMAN  IN  DISTRESS 

KENT-LAURISTON  was  prompt  to  his  appoint- 
ment, and  it  took  but  a  few  moments  to  establish 
the  Secretary  and  himself  in  a  private  room  with 
a  plentiful  supply  of  cigarettes,  and  two  whiskeys 
and  sodas. 

Stanley  was  nervous  and  showed  it.  Kent- 
Lauriston  adjusted  his  monocle,  tugged  at  his 
long  sandy  moustache,  and  surveyed  his  compa- 
nion from  head  to  foot. 

"Not  feeling  fit?"  he  queried.  "Suffering 
from  political  ennui?" 

"  Oh,  my  health  is  all  right,  as  far  as  that 
goes " 

"  Yes,  I  see,  this  last  remark  meditatively. 
Then  he  added.  "  Some  deuced  little  scrape  ?  " 

Stanley  nodded. 

"  Woman  ?  " 

"  It  concerns  a  lady — perhaps  two." 

Kent-Lauriston  frowned,  and  tugged  his  mous- 
tache a  trifle  harder,  to  imply  that  he  now  under- 
stood the  affair  to  be  of  a  more  complex  order, 
requiring  the  aid  of  skilful  diplomacy,  in  place  of 
the  simple  directness  of  five-pound  notes. 

5* 


52  Parlous  Times 

"  Want  my  advice,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"Yes,"  admitted  Stanley,  "and  so  I'd  better 
make  a  clean  breast  of  the  matter." 

"  Decidedly." 

"  The  fact  is,  I  want  to  marry — or  rather,  don't 
want  to  marry — no,  that's  not  it  either — I  want  to 
marry  the  girl  bad  enough,  but  I  think  I'd  better 
not.  It  would  be  what  the  world — what  you 
might  call,  a  foolish  match." 

"  Deucedly  hard  hit,  I  suppose?  " 

"  You  see,"  continued  the  Secretary,  ignoring 
his  friend's  question,  "  I  know  I  oughtn't  to  marry 
her,  but  left  to  myself,  I'd  do  it,  and  I  need  a 
jolly  good  rowing — only  you  mustn't  be  disre- 
spectful to  the  lady — I — I  couldn't  stand  that." 

"  I  think  I  know  her  name." 

"  Miss  Fitzgerald.  You  dined  with  her  at  the 
Hyde  Park  Club  last  evening." 

"  Daughter  of  old  Fitzgerald  of  the  -th  Hus- 
sars  " 

"I— I  believe  that  washer  father's  regiment, 
but  now  she  lives — 

"  Lives  !  "  interjected  Kent-Lauriston.  "  No, 
she  doesn't  live — visits  round  with  her  relatives — 
old  Irish  ancestry — ruined  castles  and  no  rents — 
washy  blue  eyes  and  hair,  at  present,  golden." 

"  She  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  Irish  girls 
I've  ever  seen,"  cried  Stanley.  "  In  repose  her 
face  is  spirituelle.  She  is  a  cousin  of  Lord  West- 
moorland." 

"  Fourteenth  cousin — twice  removed." 

"  I  don't  know  her  degree  of  relationship." 


A  Gentleman  in  Distress  53 

"  I  do." 

"  She's  splendid  vitality  and  courage,"  said  the 
Secretary,  desirous  of  turning  the  conversation, 
which  threatened  to  drift  into  dangerous  channels. 
She's  dashing,  thoroughly  dashing." 

"  Gad,  I'm  with  you  there  !  I've  seldom  seen 
a  better  horse-woman.  I've  watched  her  more 
than  once  in  the  hunting  field  put  her  gee  at 
hedges  and  ditches  that  many  a  Master  of  Hounds 
would  have  fought  shy  of, — and  clear  'em,  too." 

Stanley  smiled,  delighted  to  hear  a  word  of 
commendation  from  a  quarter  where  he  least  ex- 
pected it,  but  Kent-Lauriston's  next  remark  was 
less  gratifying. 

"  Little  rapid,  isn't  she  ?  Trifle  fond  of  fizz- 
water  and  cigarettes  ?  " 

"  She's  the  spirits  of  youth,"  said  the  Secretary, 
a  trifle  coldly. 

"  Let  me  see,"  mused  his  adviser.  "  How  about 
that  Hunt  Ball  at  Leamington?  " 

"  I  wasn't  there,  and  I  must  ask  you  to  remem- 
ber that  you're  talking  of  a  lady." 

"  Um,  pity ! "  said  his  friend  ambiguously,  and 
added,  "  How  far  have  you  put  your  foot  in  it  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  haven't  asked  her  to  marry  me." 

"  Ah.  Order  me  another  whiskey  and  soda, 
please,"  and  Kent-Lauriston  sat  purring  a  ciga- 
rette, and  tugging  at  his  moustache  till  the  bev- 
erage came.  Then  he  drank  it  thoughtfully,  not 
saying  a  word  ;  a  silence  that  was  full  of  meaning 
to  Stanley,  who  flushed  and  began  to  fidget  un- 
easily about  the  room. 


54  Parlous  Times 

Having  finished  the  last  drop,  and  disposed  of 
his  cigarette,  his  adviser  looked  up  and  said 
shortly : — 

"  How  did  this  begin  ?  " 

"  I  met  her  some  months  ago — but  only  got  to 
know  her  intimately  at  the  races." 

"Derby?" 

"  No,  Ascot." 

"  Royal  Enclosure,  of  course." 

"  Royal  Enclosure,  of  course.  She  was  visiting 
her  aunt." 

"  I  know.  That  type  of  girl  has  dozens  of 
aunts." 

"  Her  uncle  brought  her  down  and  introduced 
us.  He  left  her  a  moment  to  go  to  the  Paddock 
and  never  came  back." 

"  Um,  left  you  to  do  the  honours." 

"  Exactly  so,  and  I  did  them.  Saw  the  crowd, 
saw  the  gees,  had  lunch — you  know  the  pro- 
gramme." 

"  Only  too  well.     Do  any  betting  ?  " 

"A  little." 

"  Thought  it  was  against  your  principles.  You 
told  me  so  once." 

"  I— I  didn't  bet— that  is— 

"  Oh,  I  see.     She  did." 

"  Rather — a  good  round  sum." 

"  You  knew  the  amount  ?  " 

"  Well,  the  fact  is — she'd  given  her  uncle  her 
pocket-book,  and  he  got  lost." 

"  Clever  uncle  ;  so  you  paid  the  reckoning." 

"  She  said  she  knew  the  winning  horse." 


A  Gentleman  in  Distress  55 

"  We  always  do  know  the  winners." 

"  This  was  an  exception  to  prove  the  rule." 

"  So  you  put  down — and  she  never  paid  up." 
.  "  Youth  is  forgetful,  and  of  course — you  can't 
dun  a  lady." 

"  No — you  can't  dun  a  lady'' 

"  Look  here  !  "  cried  Stanley.  "  I  won't  stand 
that  sort  of  thing  !  " 

"  Beg  your  pardon,  I  was  thinking  aloud, 
beastly  bad  habit,  purely  reminiscent,  I  assure 
you.  Go  on." 

"  Well,  of  course  I  saw  something  of  her  after 
that.  Aunt  invited  me  to  call,  also  to  dine." 

"  What  about  that  trip  down  the  Thames?  " 

"  Why,  I'd  arranged  my  party  for  that  before 
I  met  Belle — I  mean  Miss  Fitzgerald." 

"  Oh,  call  her  Belle,  I  know  you  do." 

"  And  she  happened  to  mention,  quite  acci- 
dentally, that  one  of  her  unaccomplished  ideals 
was  a  trip  down  the  Thames.  I  fear  she's  shock- 
ingly cramped  for  money  you  know,  so  as  I  hap- 
pened to  have  a  vacant  place " 

"You  naturally  invited  her — I  wonder  how  she 
found  out  there  was  a  vacant  place,"  mused  Kent- 
Lauriston. 

"  My  dear  fellow,"  reiterated  Stanley.  "  I  tell 
you  she  didn't  even  know  I  was  getting  it  up. 
Of  course  if  she  had,  she'd  never  have  spoken  of 
it.  Miss  Fitzgerald  is  far  above  touting  for  an 
invitation." 

"  Of  course.  Well  you  must  have  advanced 
considerably  in  your  acquaintance  during  the 


56  Parlous  Times 

trip.  Had  her  quite  to  yourself,  as  it  were,  since 
I  suppose  she  knew  none  of  the  party." 

"  Oh,  but  she  did.  She  knew  Lieutenant 
Kingsland." 

"  To  be  sure.  He  was  the  man  who  wagered  her 
a  dozen  dozen  pairs  of  gloves  that  she  wouldn't 
swim  her  horse  across  the  Serpentine  in  Hyde 
Park." 

"  And  she  won,  by  Jove !  I  can  tell  you  she 
has  pluck." 

"  And  they  were  both  arrested  in  consequence. 
I  think  the  Lieutenant  owed  her  some  reparation, 
and  I  must  say  a  trip  down  the  Thames  was  most 
h  propos" 

"  Look  here,  Kent-Lauriston,  if  you're  insinu- 
ating that  Kingsland  put  her  up  to " 

"  Far  from  it,  my  boy,  how  could  I  insinuate 
anything  so  unlikely  ?  Well,  what  other  unat- 
tainable luxuries  did  you  bestow?" 

"  Nothing  more  to  speak  of — why,  yes.  Do 
you  know  the  poor  little  thing  had  never  seen 
Irving,  or  been  inside  the  Lyceum  ?  " 

"  So  you  gave  the  *  poor  little  thing  '  a  box 
party,  and  a  champagne  supper  at  the  Savoy 
afterwards,  I'll  be  bound,  and  yet  surely  it  was  at 
the  Lyceum  that " 

"What?" 

"  Oh,  nothing,  I  was  becoming  reminiscent  once 
more ;  it's  a  bad  habit.  Let's  have  the  rest  of  it." 

"  There  isn't  much  more  to  tell.  I've  ridden 
with  her  sometimes  in  the  Park.  Given  her  a 
dinner  at  the  Wellington,  a  few  teas  at  the  Hyde 


A  Gentleman  in  Distress  57 

Park  Club.  I  think  that's  all — flowers  perhaps, 
nothing  in  the  least  compromising." 

"  Compromising !  Why,  it's  enough  to  have 
married  you  to  three  English  girls." 

"  She's  Irish." 

"  I  beg  her  pardon,"  and  Kent-Lauriston  bowed 
in  mock  humility. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  my  case,  honestly  ?  " 

"  Honestly,  I  think  she  means  to  have  you, 
and  if  I  was  a  betting  man,  I'd  lay  the  odds  on 
her  chances  of  winning." 

"  Confound  you  !  "  broke  in  Stanley.  "  You've 
such  a  beastly  way  of  taking  the  words  out  of  a 
man's  mouth  and  twisting  them  round  to  mean 
something  else.  Here  I  started  in  to  tell  you  of 
my  acquaintance  with  Miss  Fitzgerald,  and  by 
the  time  I've  finished  you've  made  it  appear  as 
if  her  actions  had  been  those  of  an  adventuress, 
a  keen,  unprincipled,  up-to-date  Becky  Sharp. 
Why,  you've  hardly  left  her  a  shred  of  character. 
I  swear  you  wrong  her,  she's  not  what  you've 
made  me  make  her  out, — not  at  all  like  that." 

"  What  is  she  like  then  ?  " 

"  She  is  a  poor  girl  without  resources  or  near 
relations,  thrown  on  the  world  in  that  most  anom- 
alous of  positions,  shabby  gentility  ;  who  has  to 
endure  no  end  of  petty  insults ;  insults,  covert, 
if  not  open,  from  men  like  you,  who  ought  to 
know  better.  I  tell  you  she's  good  and  straight, 
straight  as  a  die ;  brave,  fearless,  plucky — isn't 
the  word  for  it.  A  little  headstrong,  perhaps,  and 
careless  of  what  the  world  may  say,  but  whom 


58  Parlous  Times 

has  she  had  to  teach  her  better?  There's  no 
harm  in  her  though.  Of  that  I'm  sure.  And 
underneath  an  exterior  of  what  may  seem  flip- 
pancy, her  heart  rings  true ;  but  you're  so  preju- 
diced you'll  never  admit  it." 

"  On  the  contrary,"  replied  his  friend,  lighting 
another  cigarette,  "  I'm  perfectly  willing  to  agree 
to  nearly  all  that  you  have  just  said  in  her  favour 
— all  that  is  of  vital  importance,  at  least.  I  know 
something  of  this  young  lady's  career,  and  I'm 
prepared  to  say  I  don't  believe  there  is  anything 
bad  in  her.  She  has  to  live  by  her  wits,  and  they 
must  be  sharp  in  consequence ;  and  having  to 
carve  out  her  own  destiny  instead  of  having 
a  mother  to  do  so  for  her,  she  has  become  self- 
reliant,  and  to  some  extent  careless  of  the  impres- 
sion she  makes,  which  has  given  her  a  reputation 
for  indiscretion  which  she  really  does  not  deserve. 
She's  certainly  charming,  and  undeniably  dash- 
ing, though  whether  it  arises  from  bravery  or 
foolhardiness,  I'm  not  prepared  to  say ;  but  one 
thing  I  can  state  most  emphatically — you're  not 
the  man  to  marry  her." 

"  And  why  not,  pray  ?  " 

"  Because  you're  too  good  for  her." 

"  That's  a  matter  of  opinion." 

"  No— matter  of  fact." 

Stanley  flushed  angrily — but  Kent-Lauriston 
continued : 

"  No  need  to  fly  into  a  passion  ;  what  I  say  is 
perfectly  true.  The  only  way  for  Belle  Fitzgerald 
to  marry,  be  happy,  and  develop  the  best  that  is 


A  Gentleman  in  Distress  59 

in  her,  is  to  have  a  husband  whose  methods — 
forceful  or  otherwise — she  can  understand  and 
appreciate.  You  are  too  good  for  her.  Her 
struggle  with  life  has  been  a  hard  one,  she  has 
seen  the  seamy  side  of  human  nature,  and  it  has 
taught  her  to  estimate  all  men  at  their  worst. 
She'd  consider  your  virtue,  weakness.  You  could 
never  take  her  to  South  America  and  the  an- 
cestral plantation  ;  it  would  bore  her  to  extinc- 
tion. She'd  require  to  live  in  London  or  keep 
open  house  in  the  country,  and  she'd  gather  about 
her  the  set  she  goes  with  now.  Her  companions, 
her  manner  of  life,  you  think  unworthy  of  her ; 
already  they  grate  on  your  finer  sensibilities, 
blinded  as  you  are  ;  believe  me,  they'd  grate  much 
more  when  she  bore  your  name.  No,  the  only 
man  who  could  marry  her,  be  happy,  make  her 
happy,  and  keep  his  good  name  untarnished  in 
the  future,  would  be  one  who  knows  her  world 
better  than  she  does  herself  ;  who  has  a  past  that 
even  she  would  shudder  at ;  who  has  no  ideals, 
no  aspirations,  just  manly  vigour  and  brute  force; 
who  could  guide  her  with  a  hand  of  steel  in  a 
glove  of  velvet,  and  pull  her  up  short  at  the  dan- 
ger line,  because  he  knows  what  lies  beyond,  and 
she  knows  that  he  knows.  She'd  tire  of  you  in 
six  months ;  she  would  not  dare  to  tire  of  the 
other  man." 

"  I  think  you  wrong  her,"  said  Stanley  wearily. 
"  Indeed,  your  own  criticism  of  her  might  be  ap- 
plied to  yourself.  Your  knowledge  of  the  world 
has  caused  you  unconsciously  to  misjudge  a  nature 


60  Parlous  Times 

you  cannot  understand.  Yet  I  know  that  my 
friends  would  all  voice  your  sentiments — that 
they'd  all  be  disappointed  in  the  match." 

"  Exactly  so — and  they'd  be  in  the  right — ex- 
cuse me  for  being  blunt,  but  with  your  wealth 
and  social  position  you  would  be  simply  throwing 
yourself  away." 

"  I  know  all  that — but — I'm  so  sorry  for  her." 

"  You  could  serve  her  better  as  her  friend  than 
as  her  husband.  She  must  live  your  life  or  you 
must  live  hers — in  either  case,  one  of  you  would 
be  unhappy." 

"  I  half  believe  you're  right.  Confound  it !  I 
know  you're  right,  and  yet — how  am  I  to  get  out 
of  it  with  honour  ?" 

"  Don't  have  any  false  sentimentality  about  that, 
my  boy.  Believe  me,  she  understands  the  situa- 
tion much  better  than  you  do.  So  far  you  have 
been  chums  ;  if  you  stop  there,  she  is  too  much  a 
woman  of  the  world  to  lay  it  up  against  you. 
You've  given  her  much  pleasure  during  the  past 
season  and  she  appreciates  it ;  but  she's  quite 
enough  of  a  philosopher  to  accept  cheerfully  the 
half-loaf." 

"  But  I  can't  be  just  a  friend." 

"  Not  now,  perhaps,  but  you  can  a  few  months 
later,  when  other  things  have  supervened." 

"  If  I  see  her  again — it's  all  over." 

"  Don't  see  her  then." 

"  That  is  just  the  point.  She's  going  to  stay 
with  an  aunt  in  Sussex." 

"  Another  aunt  ?  " 


A  Gentleman  in  Distress  61 

"  Yes,  Mrs.  Roberts,  and  I  am  invited  to  go 
down  to  the  house-party  to-morrow,  and  have  ac- 
cepted, and  shall  come  back  engaged." 

"  Send  your  excuses,  by  all  means,  write  to- 
day." 

"Yes,  I  suppose  it's  for  the  best,  but  you  know 
I  hate  to  do  it.  Somehow  I  can't  think  all  you 
imply  of  her." 

"  My  dear  boy,"  said  Kent-Lauriston,  "  I  may 
be  doing  the  lady  gross  injustice  and  keeping  you 
out  of  a  very  good  thing,  but  even  in  that  case 
you  must  not  go  to  Sussex.  For  heaven's  sake, 
man,  take  time  to  consider  !  It's  too  important  a 
matter  to  be  decided  in  a  hurry.  If  she  cares  for 
you  and  is  worthy  of  you,  she'll  give  you  every 
fair  opportunity  of  asking  her  the  fateful  question 
and  a  reasonable  amount  of  time  to  think  it  over. 
Take  a  fortnight  for  calm  reflection ;  it's  very 
little  to  allow  for  what  may  be  a  life's  happiness 
or  misery.  Meanwhile  try  and  keep  your  mind 
off  it.  Run  over  to  Paris  with  me.  If  at  the  end 
of  our  trip  you  still  feel  the  same  towards  her,  I 
won't  stand  in  your  way,  I  promise  you.  Come, 
is  that  a  fair  offer?  " 

"  Most  kind,"  said  Stanley,  "  and  to  show  you 
my  appreciation  of  all  the  trouble  you've  taken, 
I'll  send  my  regrets  to  Mrs.  Roberts  by  the  first 
post." 

"  Good  boy  !  "  said  his  mentor,  sententiously. 

"  I  don't  know  about  Paris,  as  to  whether  I  can 
get  leave,  I  mean." 

"  Nonsense,  you  have   already  arranged  your 


62  Parlous  Times 

leave  for  the  house-party,  I'll  be  bound.  Dine 
with  me  here  to-morrow  night  at  eight,  and  we'll 
talk  it  over." 

"  Thanks,  I  will.  I  must  be  going  now,  I  have 
to  look  in  at  a  tea  or  two." 

"  Not  to  meet  our  charming  enchantress  ?  " 

"  No,  no,  trust  me,  I'll  play  fair,"  and  he  was 
gone. 

Kent-Lauriston  puffed  meditatively  at  his  cigar- 
ette, now  that  he  was  alone,  and  tugged  hard  at 
his  moustache. 

"  The  little  Fitzgerald  a  pattern  of  all  the  vir- 
tues, eh  ?  "  he  said,  half  to  himself,  and  half  to 
the  departing  Secretary,  and  added,  under  his 
breath  : 

"  Gad  !  How  she  would  rook  him !  Never 
been  to  the  Lyceum  or  down  the  Thames !  May 
she  be  forgiven  ! " 


CHAPTER  VI 

AFTERNOON    TEA 

THE  Secretary  had  stated  that  he  had  several 
calls  to  make,  but  they  resolved  themselves  into 
one,  the  fact  being  that  the  day  was  disagreeable 
and  the  prospect  of  riding  vast  distances  in  han- 
som cabs,  interspersed  with  short  intervals  of  tea, 
not  alluring.  He  therefore  decided  to  confine  his 
attentions  to  one  hostess,  and  selected  his  missing 
chaperon,  Lady  Rainsford,  whose  indisposition 
had  come  so  near  wrecking  his  little  dinner.  Her 
Ladyship  had  much  to  commend  her.  Her  house 
was  central  and  large,  one  knew  one  would  meet 
friends  there,  and  there  were  plenty  of  nooks  and 
corners  for  tete-a-tetes,  while,  as  her  circle  was 
most  select,  and  she  received  frequently,  there 
was  a  fair  chance  that  her  rooms  would  not  be 
crowded. 

Stanley  found  his  hostess  quite  recovered,  and 
standing  by  the  side  of  a  bright  fire  in  a  diminutive 
fireplace,  for  the  rain  had  made  the  day  a  bit 
chilly. 

"  Good  afternoon,  Mr.  Secretary,"  she  cried,  as 
he  entered.  "  I  was  beginning  to  think  you'd  not 
forgiven  me  for  leaving  you  in  the  lurch  last 
night." 

63 


64  Parlous  Times 

"  Don't  speak  of  it,  I  beg,"  he  said,  hastening 
to  deprecate  her  apologies  "  I  should  have 
called  to  enquire  the  first  thing  this  morning." 

"  You  should  most  certainly,  and  I  ought  to 
tax  you  with  base  desertion,"  she  went  on. 

"  That  would  be  impossible,  but  I'm  a  victim 
of  stern  necessity.  Society  demands  all  my  spare 
time,  and  I'm  forced,  as  one  always  is  in  London, 
to  neglect  my  friends  for  my  acquaintances." 

"  You  deserve  a  thorough  rating,  and  if  it  were 
not  for  my  duties  as  hostess,  I'd  give  it  to  you 
here  and  now." 

"  I  claim  the  protection  of  your  hearth,"  he 
rejoined,  laughing. 

"  Oh !  But  it's  such  a  tiny  hearth,"  she  re- 
monstrated. 

"  And  I,"  he  added,  "  am  such  an  insignificant 
personage." 

"  I  won't  have  you  run  yourself  down  in  that 
way,  I  believe  you  are  a  great  social  lion.  Come, 
confess,  how  many  teas  have  you  been  to  in  the 
last  seven  days  ?  " 

"  Fifty-six." 

"  Good  gracious!  How  do  you  men  stand  it, 
and  having  something  to  eat  and  a  cup  of  tea 
at  every  place?  " 

"  Shall  I  enlighten  you  as  to  the  professional 
secrets  of  the  habitual  tea-goer?  We  don't." 

"  But  surely  you  can't  always  refuse." 

"  I  never  refuse,  I  always  accept  the  cup — and 
put  it  down  somewhere." 

"  For  another  guest  to  knock  over.     You're  a 


Afternoon  Tea  65 

hardened  reprobate,  but  this  time  you  shall  not 
escape.  You  know  MiSs  Campbell,  who  is  pour- 
ing tea  for  me  this  afternoon?  No?  Then  I'll 
introduce  you.  Miss  Campbell,  this  is  Secretary 
Stanley,  a  member  of  the  Diplomatic  Corps,  who 
has  just  confessed  to  me  that  he  habitually  eludes 
the  trustful  hostess  and  the  proffered  tea.  You'll 
give  him  a  cup  and  see  that  he  drinks  it  before  he 
leaves  the  room,"  and  the  vivacious  little  woman 
departed,  leaving  him  no  alternative  but  to  accept 
his  fate  meekly. 

"  How  do  you  like  your  tea?"  inquired  Miss 
Campbell,  a  young  lady  deft  of  hand,  but  with 
few  ideas. 

"  Lemon  and  no  sugar." 

"  How  nasty !  But  then,  I  forgot  you  never 
really  drink  it,  Lady  Rainsford  says.  But  this 
time " 

"  This  time,"  he  replied,  "  I'm  a  lamb  led  to  the 
slaughter." 

Miss  Campbell  said,  "Really?"  Then  there 
followed  an  awkward  silence. 

Looking  around  for  some  means  of  escape,  he 
saw  a  face  in  the  crowd,  that  caused  him  to  start, 
so  utterly  unexpected  and  out  of  place  did  it 
seem,  considering  what  he  had  heard  that  after- 
noon. It  was  the  face  of  Colonel  Darcy. 

He  did  not  think  the  man  knew  him,  and  for 
obvious  reasons  he  did  not  care  to  be  introduced  ; 
so  he  turned  again  to  Miss  Campbell,  who,  seeing 
no  alternative,  rose  to  the  occasion  and  continued 
the  conversation  by  remarking : — 
5 


66  Parlous  Times 

"  Is  it  true  that  you  go  to  such  an  enormous 
number  of  teas?  What  do  you  find  to  talk 
about?" 

"  Oh,  I  don't  find  much.  I  talk  about  the  same 
thing  at  every  tea.  If  you  meet  other  people  it 
makes  no  difference." 

"  How  clever  of  you  ! " 

"  On  the  contrary  it's  simply  dulness,  and  be- 
cause I'm  lazy — I—  '  but  he  left  his  sentence 
unfinished,  for  Miss  Campbell's  attention  was  pal- 
pably wavering,  and  her  glance  spoke  of  approach- 
ing deliverance.  He  looked  over  his  shoulder  to 
see  Darcy  advancing  with  Lieutenant  Kingsland. 

The  two  officers  had  met  in  the  crush  a  few 
minutes  before,  and  the  Colonel  had  lost  no  time 
in  taking  Kingsland  to  task  for  his  stupidity  of 
the  past  night. 

"  I'm  no  end  sorry,"  the  Lieutenant  said,  in 
very  apologetic  tones. 

"  That  doesn't  give  me  my  letter,"  growled  the 
Colonel. 

"  I  know  I'm  an  awful  duffer,"  assented  Kings- 
land,  "  but  when  he  came  up  behind  me  and  asked 
questions  about  it,  I  was  so  staggered  I  let  him 
take  it  right  out  of  my  hands.  It  wasn't  ad- 
dressed, you  know,  and  I  naturally  couldn't  say 
who  gave  it  to  me." 

"  I  should  hope  not  indeed." 

"  Well,  what  shall  I  do— ask  him  for  it  ?  " 

"  No,  no,  leave  it  alone ;  you've  blundered 
enough.  You  all  meet  at  a  country  house  to- 
morrow." 


Afternoon  Tea  67 

"Yes." 

"  Well,  trust  its  recovery  to  her ;  she'll  get  it,  if 
he  has  it  with  him.  If  he  leaves  it  behind  in  Lon- 
don so  much  the  easier  for  me." 

"  But  I  thought  you  were  coming  down " 

"  You  think  a  great  deal  too  much,  and  your 
actions  are " 

"  Sh ! "  whispered  the  Lieutenant,  laying  his 
hand  on  Darcy's  arm.  "  He's  looking  our  way, 
he'll  hear  us." 

Stanley  had  not  caught  a  word  of  the  previous 
conversation,  but  a  whisper  sometimes  carries 
much  farther  than  the  ordinary  tones  of  the  voice, 
and  he  heard  the  caution  and  saw  the  gesture 
which  accompanied  it,  very  distinctly. 

The  Colonel  and  the  Lieutenant  were  close 
upon  him  by  this  time,  and  Stanley,  who  had  no 
wish  to  be  recognised,  began  to  move  off,  and 
disappeared  in  the  crowd,  determined  to  make 
the  best  of  his  way  to  the  door.  He  was  terribly 
bored. 

He  was  not  destined  to  escape  quite  so  easily, 
however,  for  Lady  Isabelle  McLane  sighted  him 
in  transit,  and  in  a  moment  more  had  drawn  him 
into  a  protecting  corner  with  two  seats,  and  set- 
tled down  to  a  serious  conversation. 

"  I  hear  you're  going  down  to  the  Roberts'," 
she  said  ;  "  I'm  invited  too." 

"  Then  I'm  all  the  more  sorry  that  I'm  not  to 
be  there,"  he  replied. 

"  You  surprise  me  ;  I  supposed  your  acceptance 
was  of  some  standing.  I  hope  there's  nothing" 


68  Parlous  Times 

wrong,  that  your  chief  hasn't  forgotten  his  posi- 
tion, and  turned  fractious?" 

"  Oh,  no,  my  chief  behaves  very  well,"  Stanley 
hastened  to  assure  her,  "  but  the  fact  is — I,  well, 
I  don't  find  it  convenient." 

"  Or,  in  other  words,  you've  some  reason  for  not 
wanting  to  go." 

He  assented,  having  learned  by  long  and  bitter 
experience,  that  when  a  woman  makes  up  her 
mind  to  exert  her  faculties  of  instinct,  it  is  easier 
by  far  to  acquiesce  at  once  in  any  conclusion  to 
which  she  may  have  jumped,  however  erroneous. 

"  Will  you  be  shocked  if  I  say  I'm  glad  of  it?  " 

The  Secretary  shrugged  his  shoulders;  he 
thought  he  knew  what  was  coming. 

"  It  certainly  isn't  complimentary  to  me,"  he 
replied ;  "  but  you've  always  exercised  the  pre- 
rogative of  a  friend  to  tell  disagreeable  truths." 

"  Now,  that's  very  unkind,  Mr.  Stanley.  I'm 
sure  I  only  do  it  for  your  good." 

"  My  dear  Lady  Isabelle,  if  you'll  allow  a  man 
who  is  older  than  your  charming  self,  and  who 
has  seen  more  of  the  world  than  I  hope  you'll 
ever  do — 

"  To  tell  a  disagreeable  truth  ?  "  she  queried, 
filling  out  the  sentence,  as  pique  prompted  her. 

"To  make  a  suggestion." 

"  It's  the  same  thing.     Go  on." 

"  It's  merely  this.  That  you'll  never  achieve  a 
great  social  success  till  you've  realised  that  the 
well-being  of  your  friends  is  your  least  important 
consideration." 


Afternoon  Tea  69 

"  Dear  me,  Mr.  Secretary,  I  had  no  idea  you 
were  so  tender  in  regard  to  Miss  Fitzgerald." 

"  Who  said  anything  about  Miss  Fitzgerald  ?  " 

"  I  did.  I  don't  suppose  you  knew  she  was  to 
be  at  Roberts'  Hall." 

"  Certainly  I  know  it.  That  is  the  very  reason 
why  I'm  not  going." 

"  I'm  unfeignedly  rejoiced.  I've  watched  your 
progress  in  London  with  much  interest,  and  be- 
lieve me,  Miss  Fitzgerald  is  a  stumbling-block  in 
your  path." 

"  All  my  friends,  all  the  people  who  have  my 
good  at  heart,"  he  replied  a  trifle  testily,  "  seem  to 
think  it  their  duty  to  warn  me  against  Miss  Fitz- 
gerald." 

"  I  should  hate  to  see  you  become  entangled." 

"  I'm  sorry  to  disappoint  you,  but  there's  not 
even  the  shadow  of  a  chance  of  such  an  event 
coming  to  pass.  Miss  Fitzgerald  and  I  are  both 
philosophers  in  our  way.  We  attend  to  the  se- 
rious business  of  society  whe;i  we  are  apart,  and 
indulge  in  a  little  mild  and  harmless  flirtation 
when  we  occasionally  meet,  quite  understanding 
that  it  means  nothing,  and  is  merely  a  means  of 
relaxation,  to  keep  our  hands  in,  as  it  were." 

"  You  say  that  so  glibly,  that  I'm  sure  you  must 
have  said  it  before.  It's  flippant,  and,  besides 
that,  it's  not  strictly  true." 

"  Really  !  " 

"  Oh,  excuse  me  if  I've  said  anything  rude,  but 
this  is  a  very,  very  serious  matter,  according  to  my 
way  of  thinking,  and  I  do  wish  you'd  consent  to 


70  Parlous  Times 

be  serious  about  it  just  for  once,  won't  you,  to 
please  me  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  if  you  wish  it,  and  I'm  amazingly 
honoured  that  you  should  have  spent  so  much  of 
your  valuable  time  over  my  poor  affairs." 

"  That  isn't  a  promising  beginning,"  she  said 
reflectively,  "  for  a  man  who  has  agreed  to  be  se- 
rious ;  but  really  now,  you  must  know  that  I'm 
distressed  about  you.  Your  attentions  to  this 
lady  are  the  talk  of  London." 

"  I've  told  you,"  he  replied,  "that  I've  refused 
this  invitation  to  the  house-party.  Isn't  that  a 
sufficient  answer,  and  won't  it  set  your  mind  at 
rest  ?  " 

"  Ye-es.  Would  you  object  if  I  asked  just  one 
more  question  ?  If  you  think  it  horribly  imper- 
tinent you're  just  to  refuse  to  answer  it." 

"  Ask  away." 

"  Had  you,  before  refusing,  previously  accepted 
this  invitation  of  Mrs.  Roberts  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  he  replied,  a  trifle  sheepishly. 

"  Thanks,  so  much,"  she  said,  "  I  quite  under- 
stand now." 

"  Then  may  we  talk  on  some  more  congenial 
subject  ?  " 

"  No,  you  must  take  me  back  to  Mamma." 

"  What,  was  I  only  taken  aside  to  be  lec- 
tured?" 

"  Oh,  no,"  she  hastened  to  assure  him,  naively 
—it  was  her  first  season — "but  we  have  been 
chatting  already  fifteen  minutes,  and  that's  long 
enough." 


Afternoon  Tea  71 

"  Oh,  dear  !  "  he  said  regretfully,  "  I  thought 
I'd  left  Mrs.  Grundy  at  the  tea-table." 

"  You  are  so  careless  yourself  that  you  forget 
that  others  have  to  be  careful.  Here  comes  Lieu- 
tenant Kingsland  to  my  rescue.  You  would  not 
believe  it,  Lieutenant,"  she  continued,  as  that 
officer  approached  them,  "  this  gentleman  con- 
siders himself  abused  because  I  will  not  talk  to 
him  all  the  afternoon." 

"  I  quite  agree  with  him,"  said  Kingsland,  "not 
that  I  have  ever  had  that  felicity  ;  it's  one  of  my 
most  cherished  ambitions." 

"  You're  as  bad  as  he  is  ;  take  me  to  Mamma, 
at  once." 

"  I'll  take  you  to  have  some  tea.  Won't  that 
do  as  well  ?  "  and  they  moved  away. 

Ten  minutes  later  the  Secretary  met  the  Dowa- 
ger Marchioness  of  Port  Arthur,  who  bore  down 
on  him  at  once. 

"  Mr.  Stanley,  have  you  seen  my  daughter  ?  " 
she  demanded.  "  I'm  waiting  to  go  home,  and  I 
can't  find  her  anywhere." 

"  The  last  I  saw  of  her  she  was  with  Lieutenant 
Kingsland." 

"  Oh,  you  have  seen  her  this  afternoon, 
then." 

This  last  remark  seemed  tempered  with  a  little 
disapproval. 

"  I  had  the  pleasure  of  fifteen  minutes'  chat 
with  her,"  continued  the  Secretary  imperturbably. 
The  Marchioness  raised  her  eyebrows. 

"  At  least  she  said  it  was  fifteen  minutes  " — he 


72  Parlous  Times 

hastened  to  explain — "  it  didn't  seem  as  long  to 
me ;  then  Lieutenant  Kingsland  arrived." 

"  I  knew  his  mother,"  she  said,  "  he  comes  of 
one  of  the  best  families  in  the  land." 

Most  young  men  would  have  been  crushed  by 
the  evident  implication,  but  Stanley  rose  buoy- 
antly to  the  occasion. 

"  He  proposed "  he  began. 

The  Marchioness  started. 

"  To  get  her  a  cup  of  tea,"  continued  the  Sec- 
retary, placidly  finishing  his  sentence. 

"  You  may  escort  me  to  the  tea-table,"  she  re- 
plied, frigidly,  and  added  :  "  We  leave  town  to- 
morrow." 

"  Yes,  I  know,"  said  her  companion,  as  they 
edged  their  way  through  the  crowd.  "  I'm  in- 
vited myself." 

"  I  should  think  you  would  find  it  difficult  to 
attend  to  the  duties  of  your  office,  if  you  make  a 
practice  of  accepting  so  many  invitations." 

"  Oh,  I  haven't  accepted,"  he  returned  cheer- 
fully. 

The  Marchioness  was  manifestly  relieved. 

They  had  by  this  time  reached  the  tea-table. 
Lady  Isabelle  was  nowhere  in  sight. 

"  I  do  not  see  my  daughter,"  said  her  mother 
severely.  "  You  told  me  she  was  here." 

"  Pardon  me,  I  told  you  that  Lieutenant  Kings- 
land  offered  to  get  her  a  cup  of  tea." 

"  Well." 

"  But  they  went  in  the  opposite  direction." 

"  I  won't  detain  you  any  longer,  Mr,  Stanley." 


Afternoon  Tea  73 

The  Dowager's  tone  was  frigid.  "  If  my  daughter 
is  in  Lieutenant  Kingsland's  charge,  I  feel  quite 
safe  about  her.  She  could  not  be  in  better 
hands." 

The  Secretary  bowed  and  went  on  his  way  re- 
joicing, and  his  way,  in  this  instance,  led  him  to 
his  lodgings. 

"  I  wonder  why  she  is  so  down  on  me  and  so 
chummy  with  Kingsland,"  he  thought.  "  If  she'd 
seen  him  on  my  launch  on  the  Thames,  she  might 
think  twice  before  entrusting  her  daughter  to  his 
charge.  Well,  it's  none  of  my  business,  any 
more  than  my  affairs  are  the  business  of  Lady 
Isabelle." 

He  was  just  a  little  annoyed  at  the  persistency 
with  which  his  friends  joined  in  crying  down  a 
woman,  who,  whatever  her  faults  might  be,  pos- 
sessed infinite  fascination,  and  was,  he  honestly 
believed,  not  half  so  bad  as  she  was  painted.  He 
told  himself  that  he  must  seek  the  first  opportu- 
nity that  circumstances  gave  him  at  Mrs.  Roberts' 
house-party,  to  have  a  serious  talk  with  Miss 
Fitzgerald  and  warn  her,  as  gently  as  he  could, 
of  what  was  being  said  about  her.  Then  he  re- 
collected with  a  start,  that  he  had  decided  not  to 
go,  that  he  had  promised  to  write  a  refusal  and — 
no,  that  he  had  not  written.  He  would  do  so  at 
once.  His  latch-key  was  in  his  hand. 

He  opened  the  door.  There  was  his  valet, 
Randell,  standing  in  the  hall,  but  with  a  look  on 
his  face  which  caused  Stanley  to  question  him  as 
to  its  meaning,  before  he  did  anything  else. 


74  Parlous  Times 

"  Puzzled  ?  I  am  a  bit  puzzled.  That's  a  fact, 
sir,"  Randell  replied  to  his  question.  "And  it's 
about  that  lady,"  indicating  the  Secretary's  sit- 
ting-room with  a  jerk  of  his  thumb. 

"  What  lady  ?  " 

"  Why,  the  lady  as  come  here  half  an  hour 
ago,  with  her  luggage,  and  said  she  was  going  to 
stay." 

"  Randell,  are  you  drunk  or  dreaming?  I  know 
of  no  lady,"  cried  Stanley,  amazed. 

"  Well,  you  can  see  for  yourself,  sir,"  replied 
the  valet,  throwing  open  the  door. 

The  Secretary  stepped  in,  and  confronted — 
Madame  Darcy. 


CHAPTER  VII 

AN  IRATE  HUSBAND 

"  MADAME  DARCY  !  "  he  exclaimed,  too  as- 
tonished not  to  betray  in  some  measure  his  emo- 
tions. Then  following  the  direction  of  her  eyes, 
and  noting  the  interrogatory  glance,  which  she 
threw  at  Randell,  he  signed  to  his  valet  to  leave 
them  together. 

"  To  what  have  I  the  honour "  he  began 

abruptly,  his  voice  showing  some  trace  of  the 
irritation  he  was  not  quite  able  to  suppress. 
Surely,  he  thought,  Inez  De  Costa,  large  as  the 
liberty  of  her  youth  might  have  been,  must  know 
that  in  England,  worse  still  in  London,  a  lady 
cannot  visit  a  bachelor's  apartments  alone,  without 
running  great  danger  of  having  her  actions  mis- 
construed. 

She,  with  true  feminine  intuition,  was  none  the 
less  keen  to  realise  the  awkwardness  of  the  situa- 
tion, and  to  suffer  more  acutely  because  of  the  in- 
convenience to  which  she  was  putting  him. 

"  A  thousand  pardons  for  this  unwarrantable 
intrusion,"  she  interrupted,  "  on  one  who  has  al- 
ready loaded  me  with  favours.  It  is  the  result  of 
a  stupid — a  deplorable  blunder — for  which  I  shall 
never  forgive  myself.  But  once  it  had  been  com- 

75 


76  Parlous  Times 

mitted,  it  seemed  better  that  I  should  stay  and 
explain.  What  letter  could  ever  have  made  suit- 
able apology — have  made  clear  beyond  all  doubt, 
as  I  must  make  it  clear,  that  until  I  had  passed 
your  threshold  I  had  no  suspicion  that  these  were 
your  lodgings,  and  not  the  Legation." 

Stanley  bowed,  he  could  not  but  believe  her, 
every  anguished  glance  of  her  eyes,  every  earnest 
tone  of  her  impassioned  voice,  carried  conviction. 
But  how  had  this  strange  mischance  come  about. 

"  You've  seen  Sanks?  "  he  asked,  breaking  the 
silence. 

"  Ah,  that  is  it,"  she  exclaimed,  thankful  for  the 
outlet  he  had  suggested.  "  That  good  Seflor 
Sanks,  he  was  so  kind,  he  said  I  had  a  case,  and 
could  be  protected  from — him.  He  has  written  a 
letter,  I  forget  what  he  called  it,  some  legal  name, 
requiring  my  husband  to  surrender  my  goods,  my 
money,  and  I  have  written  him  also  to  send  them 
to  your  care  at  the  Legation,  as  he  told  me.  Then 
I  drive  here  with  what  I  have — I  had  nothing  when 
I  started,  but  he  advanced  me  a  sum,"  she  flushed, 
"to buy  what  was  needful  till  my  trunks  come. 
He  advised  me  to  stay  at  some  private  hotel, 
known  only  to  you  and  to  himself,  till  my  hus- 
band has  declared  his  attitude  in  the  case.  I 
make  my  purchases,  I  drive,  as  I  suppose,  to  the 
Legation,  my  luggage  is  unloaded  and  carried  in. 
I  ask  if  Sefior  Stanley,  if  you  are  here,  they  say 
you  will  be  shortly,  I  dismiss  my  cab,  I  enter, 
then  I  find  it  is  not  the  Legation — it  is  your 
private  apartments." 


An  Irate  Husband  77 

She  paused,  awaiting  his  sentence  of  displeasure 
— but  his  tone  was  rather  that  of  thoughtful 
wonder. 

"  How  could  Sanks  have  made  the  mistake  in 
my  address  ?  He  knew,  must  have  known,  them, 
both." 

"  It  was  my  fault,  all  mine,"  she  broke  in  has- 
tily. "  It  was  undecided  where  I  should  have  my 
things  sent.  I  filled  in  the  address  myself,  from 
your  card." 

"  Ah,  that's  it,"  said  Stanley,  beginning  to  see 
light.  "  I  remember  now,  I  gave  you  my  private 
card  by  mistake  for  my  official  one.  You've 
nothing  to  distress  yourself  about,  Inez,  this 
is  my  blunder,  and  it  is  I  who  must  beg  your 
pardon." 

"  Ah,  we  will  not  beg  each  other's  pardon  then, 
it  is  a  foolishness  between  friends,"  she  returned, 
with  just  that  little  foreign  touch  which  rendered 
her  so  irresistible. 

"  I  quite  agree  with  you,"  he  replied  heartily. 
"  We've  other  and  more  important  things  to  con- 
sider." 

"  But  what  to  do  ?  "  she  exclaimed. 

"  Well,  you  must  take  Sanks'  advice,  and  go 

to  some  quiet,  private  Hotel, — say  X 's.  I 

know  them  and  will  introduce  you,  send  you  over 
with  Randell :  it's  better  than  going  with  you  my- 
self. You'll  find  it  most  comfortable." 

She  shivered  and  shrugged  her  shoulders. 

"  But  of  course,"  he  hastened  to  add,  "  you'll 
stay  and  dine  with  me  first." 


78  Parlous  Times 

"  But  Jim  !  "  she  said,  rising. 

"  But  why  not  ?  "  he  persisted.  "  It's  a  beastly 
night.  You're  here.  It  makes  little  difference 
whether  you  stay  an  hour  or  two,  or  the  thirty 
minutes  you  have  already  remained.  I'll  send 
you  over  early  in  the  evening." 

"  But  the  household " 

"  They'd  know  in  any  event.  The  fact  is  the 
important  thing  to  them,  the  details  do  not  matter. 
Your  staying  here  for  dinner  in  a  prosaic  manner, 
as  if  there  was  no  reason  why  you  shouldn't, 
would  do  more  to  stop  tongues  from  wagging, 
than  your  sudden  disappearance  after  a  myste- 
rious visit.  Believe  me,  I  should  not  urge  this  if  it 
were  more  or  less  than  common  sense." 

"  But  your  engagements  ?  " 

"  I  should  have  dined  alone  in  any  case." 

She  stood  uncertain  whether  to  go  or  to  remain, 
one  hand  upon  the  table.  Then  she  smiled  at 
him,  though  there  were  tears  in  her  eyes,  saying : — 

"  I  will  stay — I  will  trust  to  your  judgment. 
Whom  have  I  to  trust  but  you  ?  " 

"  Good  ! "  he  cried,  an  air  of  quick  decision 
taking  possession  of  him,  now  her  consent  had 
been  given  ;  "  my  landlady  will  put  a  room  at  your 
disposal  should  you  wish  to  remove  the  stains  of 
travel  before  dinner.  You'll  find  her  kindly, 
if  inexperienced.  I'll  go  and  explain  the  situa- 
tion to  her  and  to  my  valet."  And  he  stepped 
towards  the  door. 

"  Explain  ?  " 

"  Explain    by   all    means,    my     dear.     In  this 


An  Irate  Husband  79 

country  it  is  the  greatest  of  all  mistakes  to  try  to 
deceive  your  servants,  especially  where  circum- 
stances give  the  slightest  scope  for  misconstruc- 
tion." 

"  I  thought  servants  were  our  worst  scandal- 
mongers." 

"  True,  they're  only  human.  But  put  a  well- 
trained  servant  on  his  honour  by  giving  him  your 
confidence,  and  he's  far  less  likely  to  betray  you, 
than  if  you  try  to  blind  him  to  an  obvious  truth." 

She  laughed,  and  he  left  her  to  arrange  for  his 
impromptu  dinner. 

When  they  sat  down  to  table,  half  an  hour  later, 
she  was  more  self-possessed  than  he  had  ever  be- 
fore seen  her,  and  chatted  away  quite  gaily  on  in- 
different topics,  each  taking  great  care  to  avoid 
the  one  subject  which  neither  could  forget. 

With  the  fruit  and  wine,  the  valet,  who  per- 
formed the  double  office  of  body  servant  and  but- 
ler, left  them  to  themselves,  having  first  received 
careful  directions  from  Stanley  in  regard  to  escort- 
ing madame  to  her  hotel,  half  an  hour  hence. 

Once  they  were  alone  the  reserve  which  the 
servant's  presence  had  called  into  play,  was  no 
longer  exerted,  and  she  spoke  freely  of  her  own 
troubles. 

"You've  no  idea,"  she  said,  "what  a  misery  my 
winter  in  England  has  been.  I  shall  never  look 
back  on  it  without  feeling  that  this  is  the  most 
cruel  place  on  earth." 

"  You  mustn't  judge  the  whole  country  from 
your  own  unfortunate  experience,"  the  Secretary 


8o  Parlous  Times 

hastened  to  interpose.  "  I've  never  found  more 
true  culture  and  refinement  than  I've  met  with 
here." 

"  Ah,"  she  replied,  "  but  when  the  Englishman 

is  a  brute !  Since  I  came  to  this  country, 

I've  never  written  a  word  to  my  father  that  has 
not  been  read  and — approved  !  "  There  was  a 
wealth  of  scorn  in  her  tones.  "  Not  a  word  of  my 
sorrows,  of  the  indignities,  the  insults  he  had 
heaped  upon  me.  Any  attempt  to  post  a  letter  on 
my  own  account,  or  to  send  it  by  a  servant,  has 
resulted  in  failure,  and  in  the  ignominy  of  having 
it  opened,  and  destroyed  in  my  presence.  My 
income  lies  there  in  the  bank.  His  brother  is  the 
banker.  I  had  the  choice  of  drawing  cheques  to 
my  husband's  order,  or  not  drawing  them  at  all." 

"  Were  you  then  deprived  of  money  ?  Surely, 
to  keep  up  outside  appearances,  and  I  judge  your 
husband  would  have  desired  that,  you  must  have 
had  an  allowance  ?" 

"  I  had  unlimited  credit  in  the  town,"  she  re- 
plied. "  I  could  buy  what  I  pleased  and  charge 
it,  but  not  a  shilling  did  I  have  wherewith  to  pay. 
It  was  my  maid,  my  good  Marie,  who,  when  he 
threatened  me  with  detention,  gave  me  her  little 
all,  her  savings,  and  told  me  to  run  away — ah,  that 
was  bitter  !  But  I  knew  she  meant  no  disrespect 
—I  accepted  it — she  shall  be  repaid  a  hundred- 
fold." 

"  I  think  you  need  have  no  fears  of  not  being 
restored  to  all  your  rights  and  privileges,"  he  said, 
"and  then?" 


An  Irate  Husband  81 

"  Then  I  will  be  free." 

"  You  mean  you  will  procure  a  separation  ?  " 

"  A  divorce." 

"  But  surely  your  husband " 

"  Oh,  he  has  not  even  constancy  to  commend 
him  ;  he  does  not  even  conceal  his  preferences. 
He  is  always  receiving  letters  from  some  woman — 
some  old  friend  he  tells  me — calling  him  to  Lon- 
don for  an  hour,  or  a  day,  as  the  case  may  be, 
and  no  matter  what  plans  I  may  have  made,  he 
goes." 

"You  know  her  name?" 

"  She  signs  her  Christian  name  only — no  wonder 
— but  I  have  her  letters  and  I'll  find  her  out." 

"  And  when  you've  found  her,  what  then  ?  Will 
you  plead  with  her  ?  " 

"  I  ?  "  she  cried.  "  I,  a  De  Costa,  degrade  my- 
self by  pleading  with  a  woman  of  that  class  !  " 

The  Secretary  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  I  think  every  woman,"  he  said,  "  has  some 
good  in  her,  low  as  she  may  be,  some  spark  of  long- 
ing for  better  things,  some  element  of  self-respect 
that  never  quite  dies  out." 

"  You're  right,"  she  admitted.  "  A  man  is  by 
nature  a  brute.  A  woman,  even  at  her  worst,  is 
not  quite  that.  Some  extra  spark  of  divinity 
seems  to  have  been  given  her  in  compensation  for 
her  weakness." 

"  I  believe  no  woman  is  wholly  bad,"  said  the 
Secretary.  "  The  worst  women  of  history  have, 
at  some  moments  in  their  lives,  been  very  near 
redemption." 


82  Parlous  Times 

"  I  believe  that  is  so,"  she  replied. 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  hear  you  say  that.  If  you 
can  still  find  charity  in  your  heart  for  your  own 
sex,  surely  I  may  believe,  even  in  the  face  of  my 
friends'  hostile  criticism." 

"  And  is  there  a  woman,  whom  you — shall  we 
say,  *  respect '  enough  to  believe  in — no  matter 
what  is  said  of  her  ?  " 

"  There  is,"  he  replied. 

"  Then  be  sure  she  has  some  virtues  worthy  of 
that  respect.  I  can  picture,"  she  went  on,  "  the 
woman  whom  you  should  marry.  You  must  be, 
to  her,  an  ideal,  and  she  must  live  her  life  in  terms 
of  you.  Gentle  and  refined,  and  knowing  more 
of  your  home  than  of  the  world." 

The  Secretary  sighed. 

"  These  are  the  women,"  he  said,  "  that  we 
dream  of,  not  that  we  marry." 

"  There  are  many  such  in  the  world,"  she  re- 
turned. "  Is  not  the  woman  you  are  defending 
one  of  them  ?  " 

"  No,"  he  said,  "  not  like  that." 

"  Then  she  is  not  worthy  of  you,  she  will  grate 
upon  you.  Does  she  ever  do  so  ?  " 

"  I  love  her,"  he  said  simply. 

"  Then  you  will  marry  her.  I'm  so  glad  !  "  she 
returned,  offering  him  her  hand. 

"  I  don't  know.  I  don't  think  so,"  he  replied. 
"  I  can't  tell  how  I  should  act." 

"  Then  you  do  not  love  her.  Love  is  blind,  it 
does  not  reason." 

"  I  love  her,"  he  repeated,  seeking  to  justify 


An  Irate  Husband  83 

himself.  "  Certainly  I  love  her,  but  one  should, 
in  this  day  and  generation,  love  wisely." 

"  One  should  love,"  she  replied,  "  and  that  is 
all,  neither  wisely  nor  unwisely — love  has  no 
limits.  You  do  not  love  her — you  must  not 
marry  her — you  will  be  unhappy  if  you  do.  I 
believe  she  grates  on  you,  you'll  never  find  the 
good  that  is  in  her.  That  power  has  been  given 
to  some  other  man." 

Stanley  raised  his  hand  in  protestation,  but  at 
that  moment,  Randell  appeared  in  the  doorway, 
equipped  to  take  Madame  De  Costa  to  her  hotel, 
and  their  private  conversation  was  at  an  end. 

She  made  her  adieux  very  prettily,  not  saying 
too  much  in  the  valet's  presence,  but  enough  to 
show  how  truly  deep  was  her  appreciation  of  the 
Secretary's  kindness,  and  left  him  wishing,  won- 
dering. He  found  time  before  retiring  to  re-read 
all  Belle's  letters  for  the  first  time  critically,  and 
seriously  caught  himself  wondering  if  one  could 
really  love  a  woman  who  wrote  slang  and  whose 
spelling  was  not  always  above  suspicion.  Subse- 
quently, he  remembered,  having  dismissed  Randell 
for  the  night,  that  he  had  never  written  that  letter 
to  Mrs.  Roberts. 

It  was  certainly  an  unfortunate  oversight,  but  it 
was  too  late  now  ;  he  would  telegraph  his  regrets 
in  the  morning,  and  he  fell  asleep  while  making 
up  his  mind  that  he  was  very  glad  he  had  decided 
not  to  go. 

•••••• 

He  arose  refreshed  and  altogether  philosophic, 


84  Parlous  Times 

relegated  Madame  De  Costa  to  past  diplomatic 
experiences,  and  in  the  light  of  that  youthful  folly 
which  wears  the  guise  of  wisdom,  told  himself,  as 
he  walked  across  the  Green  Park  to  his  office,  that 
he  was  glad  the  incident  was  over.  But  neverthe- 
less, while  he  thought  of  the  fair  Seflora  many 
times  during  the  morning,  the  existence  of  Miss 
Fitzgerald,  or  of  her  aunt,  never  occurred  to  him 
till  force  of  circumstances  brought  it  to  his  mind. 

Force  of  circumstances,  in  this  instance,  found 
actual  embodiment  in  the  person  of  Randell,  who 
put  in  an  appearance  at  the  Legation  about  noon. 
The  valet  had  never  been  there  before  in  his  life, 
and  his  appearance  in  Stanley's  office  was  assur- 
ance in  itself  that  something  most  unusual  must 
have  happened.  The  instant  he  set  eyes  on  him, 
the  Secretary  was  prepared  for  a  fire  or  the  death 
of  a  relative — at  least. 

"  Well  ?  "  he  said.     "  What  is  it  ?  " 

"  A  gentleman  'as  called  to  see  you,  sir,  at  the 
house." 

"  You  didn't  come  all  the  way  down  here  to  tell 
me  that !  "  he  exclaimed,  immensely  relieved. 

"  Yes,  sir.  You  see,  sir,  it  was  some  particular 
gentleman." 

"  Who  ?  " 

"  Colonel  Darcy,  sir." 

"  Good  Heavens.'" 

"And  very  excited,  sir." 

"  Naturally ;  but  how  did  he  know  that  Madame 
DC  Costa — Mrs.  Darcy,  I  mean.  That  is,  why 
didn't  he  come  to  the  Legation  ?  " 


An  Irate  Husband  85 

"  You  see,  sir,  as  he  told  me  the  story "  and 

Randell  paused  uneasily. 

"  Well,  out  with  it,  man ;  what  did  he  tell  you  ?  " 

"  That  the  lady  had  written  him — which  he  got 
this  morning,  that  she  had  placed  herself  in  your 
care,  and  all  her  belongings  were  to  be  sent  to 
your  address." 

"  What,  my  private  address  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.  Quite  correct,  sir.  He  showed  it  to 
me  in  her  letter." 

"  It's  all  because  I  gave  her  my  private  card  by 
mistake,"  and  Mr.  Stanley  cursed  a  number  of 
people  and  things  under  his  breath. 

"  He  asked  plenty  of  questions,  which  I  didn't 

answer,  more  than    I    was  in  duty  bound.     But 

when  he  learned  as  you  was  a  bachelor,  sir,  and  the 

,  lady  had  been  at  your  rooms  last  evening,  he  was 

that  upset— 

The  Secretary  tilted  his  office  chair  back  on  its 
hind  legs  and  gave  vent  to  a  long,  low,  meditative 
whistle. 

"  I  explained  to  him  that  there  was  nothing  to 
be  displeased  about ;  but  he  wouldn't  have  none 
of  it  and  said '' 

"  Yes,  yes,  what  did  he  say  ?  " 

"  He  said  a  good  many  things,  some  of  which  I 
wouldn't  repeat,  sir,  not  being  respectful ;  but  he 
asked  for  your  official  address,  which  I  wouldn't 
give  him,  and  said  as  he'd  call  you  out — and  spoke 
of  bringing  suit — and  called  you — wel-1,  most 
everything,  sir." 

"  You  need  not  particularise,  Randell." 


86  Parlous  Times 

"  No,  sir." 

"Is  that  all?" 

"  Yes,  sir.  Except  to  my  mind,  he  didn't  seem 
really  very  much  displeased  over  the  matter." 

Stanley  grunted  significantly.  He  thought  he 
understood.  Darcy  could  have  wished  for  nothing 
better. 

"  I  took  the  liberty,  sir,"  continued  the  valet, 
serenely,  "  to  bring  your  bag,  ready  packed,  and 
your  travelling  rug  and  umbrella,  thinking  as  you 
might  be  leaving  town  to-day,  sir." 

"  Confound  you,  Randell,  I  believe  you  think 
me  guilty  after  all." 

"  I  thought  as  you  were  going  to  Mrs.  Roberts' 
to-day,  sir.  You  spoke  of  it  to  me  a  week  ago,  and 
had  forgotten  to  give  directions  about  your  things, 
sir." 

"Yes,"  said  Stanley  meditatively,  and  rang  his 
bell.  "  John,"  he  continued  to  the  functionary 
who  appeared,  "  did  I  send  Mrs.  Roberts  of 
Roberts'  Hall,  Sussex,  a  telegram  this  morning  ?  " 

"  No,  sir." 

"  Well,  please  wire  her  at  once  that  I'll  arrive 
this  afternoon.  Leave  in  an  hour.  Is  his  Excel- 
lency disengaged  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Thanks,  that  will  do,"  and  as  John  departed 
he  added  to  Randell :  "  You  might  go  ahead  and 
reserve  a  corner  scat  in  a  first-class  carriage  for 
me.  Facing  the  engine.  Liverpool  Street — you 
know." 

"Yes,  sir." 


An  Irate  Husband  87 

"  Where  is  Colonel  Darcy  ?  " 

"  Waiting  at  your  rooms  for  an  answer." 

"Ah,"  said  Stanley,  "that  gives  me  time  to  ex- 
plain things  to  the  Chief.  If  Colonel  Darcy  is 
there  when  you  return  after  seeing  me  off,  tell  him 
I  don't  know  anything  about  his  wife,  and  if  that 
isn't  good  enough  he  can  call  on  his  Excellency. 
Say  I'm  away  in  the  country  for  an  indefinite 
time." 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  You  don't  know  where." 

"  Quite  right,  sir,"  and  Randell  departed  for 
the  station. 

"  Quite  right !  "  groaned  Stanley  as  he  sought 
the  Sanctum  Sanctorum  of  the  Legation.  "  I 
only  wish  it  were !  " 


CHAPTER  VIII 

DIPLOMATIC  INSTRUCTIONS 

MR.  STANLEY'S  Chief  was  a  grey,  weazened 
little  man,  who  had  achieved  distinction  in  diplo- 
macy and  in  his  country's  councils,  largely  on  ac- 
count of  his  infinite  capacity  for  holding  his 
tongue.  As  a  result  he  let  fall  little  and  learned 
much.  His  reticence,  however,  was  not  the  re- 
serve of  impotence,  but  the  reserve  of  power. 

On  this  occasion  he  was  busy  at  his  great  desk, 
which  occupied  the  centre  of  the  room,  and 
merely  glancing  up  at  his  Secretary's  entrance,  he 
resumed  the  piece  of  work  on  which  he  was  en- 
gaged. Ten  minutes  later  he  put  down  his  pen 
and  gave  his  waiting  subordinate  an  encouraging 
smile.  It  was  his  official  permission  to  speak. 

"  I  regret  to  say  that  I  have  got  into  a  little 
scrape,  sir,  concerning  which  will  you  give  me 
leave  to  clear  myself  ?  " 

"  Leave  of  absence  or  my  approval,  Mr.  Stan- 
ley?" 

"  Both,  your  Excellency." 

The  Minister  leaned  back  in  his  chair,  rested  his 
elbows  on  the  arms,  and  bringing  the  first  fingers 
of  each  hand  together,  held  them  at  the  level  of 

his  face  and  gazed  attentively  at  their  point  of 
88 


Diplomatic  Instructions  89 

contact.  It  was  a  favourite  attitude  which  the 
Secretary  understood,  and  he  at  once  gave  a  con- 
cise account  of  all  the  circumstances  concerning 
Madame  Darcy. 

The  Minister  heard  him  out  in  perfect  silence, 
and  after  taking  a  moment  or  two  to  ponder  over 
his  words,  remarked  quietly  : 

"  It's  a  small  world,  Mr.  Stanley." 

"  You  mean  the  fact  that  Seftor  De  Costa  and 
my  father  were  friends  before  they  quarrelled,  and 
that  his  daughter " 

"  No,  I  do  not  mean  that." 

The  Secretary  thought  it  better  policy  not  to  ask 
what  he  did  mean,  though  he  much  wished  to 
know  ;  and  silence  again  reigned. 

Presently  the  Minister  sat  up  to  his  desk  and 
ran  his  hand  through  the  mass  of  papers  upon  it ; 
finally  unearthing  one  in  particular,  which  he 
submitted  to  a  careful  scrutiny. 

"  Your  report  of  your  visit  to  the  Foreign  Of- 
fice yesterday,"  he  said — "  a  very  important  com- 
munication, Mr.  Stanley." 

If  his  Chief  had  a  disagreeable  trait,  and  he  was 
on  the  whole  an  exceedingly  amiable  man,  it  was 
an  assumed  seriousness  of  speech  and  demeanour, 
which  he  intended  for  sarcasm,  and  which  invari- 
ably misled  his  victims  to  their  ultimate  discom- 
fiture. 

Stanley,  who  was  aware  of  this  trait  and  not 
very  proud  of  the  report  in  question,  hastened  to 
disclaim  any  inherent  excellence  it  might  be  sup- 
posed to  contain. 


9o  Parlous  Times 

"  There's  nothing  in  it,  your  Excellency,  except 
that  remark  about  '  parlous  times.'  " 

"  Which  was  just  the  thing  I  was  most  anxious 
to  hear.  It  proves  that  the  Foreign  Office  regards 
the  accomplishment  of  the  treaty  as  by  no  means 
certain." 

Stanley,  with  difficulty,  checked  an  exclamation 
of  surprise,  but  he  had  learned  to  respect  his 
Chief's  little  fads,  and  succeeded. 

The  Minister  cleared  his  throat,  an  indication 
that  this  was  one  of  the  rare  occasions  on  which 
he  was  about  to  speak  at  length,  and  on  which 
he  desired  absolute  attention  and  immunity  from 
comment — and  proceeded  : 

"  For  three  hundred  years  a  treaty  has  been 
pending  between  Great  Britain  and  our  own  coun- 
try, concerning  the  possession  of  an  island  lying 
at  the  mouth  of  the  river  X .  At  first  Span- 
ish distrust  of  English  aggression  and,  at  a  later 
period,  the  frequent  changes  of  government  to 
which  our  unfortunate  country  has  been  subjected, 
have  prevented  the  successful  termination  of  the 
negotiations. 

"  Matters  have  never  been  more  favourable  for 
its  settlement  than  at  the  present  time,  and  the 
immediate  cession  of  the  island  to  Great  Britain,  in 
return  for  a  most  satisfactory  indemnity.  For  the 
last  few  weeks,  however,  we  have  noted  an  increas- 
ing opposition  on  the  part  of  certain  members  of 
our  own  Ministry,  to  the  acceptance  of  the  Eng- 
lish propositions,  the  cause  of  which  has  now 
been  discovered.  An  influential  manufacturing 


Diplomatic  Instructions  91 

concern,  officered  and  financed  by  certain  un- 
scrupulous persons  in  this  country,  owns  large 
mills  on  the  island  in  question,  for  the  production 
of  an  article  of  which  they  would  be  assured  a 
monopoly,  did  the  territory  still  remain  in  our 
hands,  but  which  would  be  open  to  competition 
did  it  come  into  the  possession  of  Great  Britain. 
The  company,  in  order  to  obtain  a  continuance  of 
the  monopoly,  have  raised  ,£40,000  for  distribution 
among  a  majority  of  the  committee,  who  are  to 
pass  upon  the  treaty,  thus  practically  insuring  the 
failure  of  the  negotiations. 

"  While  there  is  no  reasonable  doubt  that  this 
unfortunate  state  of  affairs  exists,  we  have  not 
been  able  to  obtain  actual  proofs  of  the  same, 
and  it  is  very  necessary  to  do  so,  in  order  that 
the  Executive  should  be  able,  when  the  treaty 
comes  up  for  consideration,  six  weeks  hence, 
to  inform  the  intending  offenders  that  their  in- 
trigue is  known.  It  is  not  the  intention  of  our 
government  to  create  any  scandal  in  this  matter, 
it  being  quite  sufficient  to  insure  the  passage 
of  the  treaty,  that  the  Executive  should  hold 
proof  of  the  Minister's  guilt,  and  be  in  a  posi- 
tion to  back  up  the  threat  of  exposure  and 
punishment. 

"  Now  it  is  known  that  the  English  agent  in- 
trusted with  the  financial  part  of  this  disgraceful 
scheme,  the  man  who  is  to  take  the  money  to  be 
used  in  bribery  and  corruption  from  this  country 
to  ours,  is  the  worst  type  of  an  adventurer,  a  thor- 
ough-going scoundrel,  and  clever  enough  to  make 


92  Parlous  Times 

a  fortune  in  some  honest  way.  His  name  is  Col- 
onel Robert  Darcy." 

The  Secretary  so  far  forgot  himself  as  to  draw 
in  his  breath  sharply,  and  his  Chief  looked  at 
him  with  a  disapproving  frown,  and  then  con- 
tinued: 

"  This  is  why  I  said  that  the  world  was  small 
when  you  told  me  of  your  connection  with  this 
man.  For  the  past  few  weeks  I  have  had  him 
carefully  watched,  and  I  have  learned  that  he  is 
to  go  down  to  Sussex  almost  at  once,  to  receive 
the  money  for  this  dishonourable  purpose  from 
one  of  the  heads  of  the  firm,  a  silent  partner, 
whose  identity  we  have  not  yet  discovered.  This 
money  is  to  be  paid  in  gold,  and  after  receiving  it, 
and  his  private  instructions,  Darcy  will  return  at 
once  to  London  and  sail  for  the  scene  of  his 
mission.  I  cannot  watch  his  course  in  Sussex 
personally,  and  I  do  not  think  it  wise  to  risk 
publicity  by  putting  the  affair  in  the  hands  of  the 
police.  Before  you  told  me  of  your  association 
with  this  man  and  his  wife,  I  had  some  thoughts 
of  giving  you  the  conduct  of  this  important  and 
delicate  matter,  now — 

"  Now  !  "  burst  out  the  Secretary,  unable  in  his 
chagrin  longer  to  contain  himself,  "  I  have  by  my 
stupid  blundering  rendered  myself  unfit  for  the 
place,  and  lost  a  spendid  chance !  " 

The  Minister  was  visibly  annoyed. 

"  I  was  about  to  say,  sir,  when  you  interrupted 
me  (a  very  bad  habit  of  yours,  Mr.  Stanley),  that 
you  had  unconsciously  so  perfectly  adapted  your- 


Diplomatic  Instructions  93 

self  to  fill  the  position,  that  you  have  made  it 
impossible  for  me  to  give  it  to  anybody  else." 

Stanley  gasped ;  he  could  not  help  it. 

"  A  diplomat  should  never  express  anything," 
remarked  his  Chief  severely,  and  continued  his 
statement. 

"  The  greatest  triumph  of  art  could  never  have 
placed  you  in  the  position  you  now  occupy  as  a 
result  of  a  fortuitous  combination  of  events.  You 
can  go  right  to  the  ground  where  Darcy  must 
operate,  and  any  one  of  a  dozen  people  can  tell 
him  that  you  have  perfectly  natural  and  innocent 
reasons  for  being  there.  Being  only  human  and 
apparently  very  angry,  he'll  certainly  seek  you 
out,  and  you  may  depend  on  it  that  I'll  see  that 
he  has  definite  information  as  to  where  you  have 
gone  and  with  whom  you  are  staying.  All  you'll 
have  to  do  is  to  associate  yourself  with  him  ;  he'll 
give  you  ample  opportunity  for  doing  so,  and  to 
keep  your  eyes  open. 

"  I  need  hardly  point  out  that,  should  you, 
during  the  next  fortnight,  be  able  to  obtain  in 
any  way  the  required  evidence,  you  would  not 
only  merit  my  approval  but  would  put  yourself  in 
the  sure  way  of  promotion,  and  that  for  the  best 
of  all  reasons,  as  one  who  has  done  a  signal  serv- 
ice to  your  country. 

"  Now,  just  a  word  of  warning.  Do  not  com- 
municate with  me  unless  it  is  absolutely  necessary. 
Do  not  try  to  find  out  anything  about  Darcy;  do 
not  try  to  see  him.  Do  not  so  much  as  breathe 
the  treaty  to  anyone.  Simply  be  yourself.  He's 


94  Parlous  Times 

bound  to  suspect  you  at  first,  and  it  will  only  be 
as  time  passes  and  he  becomes  convinced  from 
your  manner  of  life — that  you  are  young,  inexpe- 
rienced and  wholly  unfit  to  be  trusted  with  a 
diplomatic  secret — that  he'll  put  himself  off  his 
guard.  Then  will  be  your  opportunity.  Seize  it 
if  possible.  That's  all;  now  go.  No  thanks, 
please ;  I  trust  you  will  deserve  mine  when  you 
return.  I'll  manage  everything  for  you  here,  and 
the  Legation  pays  your  expenses — your  leave  is 
for  an  indefinite  period." 

Stanley  bowed  silently,  his  heart  was  too  full 
to  speak,  and  he  turned  to  leave  the  room. 

"  Stop !  "  came  his  Chief's  voice.  "  You  ought 
to  know  that  Darcy  has  a  confederate.  One  of 
the  two  is  a  masterhand,  probably  the  Colonel ; 
but  see  if  you  can  find  out  the  other;  I've  not 
been  able  to  do  so." 

Stanley  started,  a  vivid  remembrance  flashing 
through  his  mind  of  Kingsland's  significant  caution 
to  Darcy  at  the  tea.  "Sh'.  He's  looking  our 
way !  He'll  hear  us." 

The  Ambassador  noticed  the  involuntary  move- 
ment of  his  subordinate,  and  a  grim  smile  played 
about  his  lips. 

"  Deportment,  Mr.  Secretary,  deportment,"  he 
said.  "  A  diplomat  should  always  appear  at  his 
case.  So ;  that  is  better.  You  can  go." 


CHAPTER  IX 

A     HOUSE-WARMING 

MUCH  has  been  written  of  the  blessed  state  of 
them  that  go  a  house-partying  in  England,  and 
certain  it  is  that  no  pleasanter  pastime  has  been 
devised  by  civilised  man,  and  that  in  no  other 
country  in  the  world  has  it  been  brought  to  a  like 
degree  of  perfection. 

Two  great  canons  govern  these  functions,  which 
it  would  be  exceedingly  well  did  the  hostesses 
of  all  lands  "  mark,  learn  and  inwardly  digest." 
The  first  is  that  all  guests  are  on  speaking  terms 
of  intimacy  with  each  other  from  the  time  they 
arrive  till  they  depart.  My  Lady  may  not  know 
you  next  time  you  meet  her  in  Bond  Street,  and 
the  Countess  perchance  will  have  forgotten  to  put 
your  name  on  her  visiting  list  for  the  remainder 
of  this  or  any  other  season,  but  during  the  blessed 
interval  of  your  sojourn  at  that  hospitable  Hall  in 
Berks,  you  knew  them  both,  and  they  were  very 
gracious  and  charming.  The  second  rule  is  none 
the  less  framed  for  your  comfort  and  convenience, 
and  it  reads :  "  Thou  shalt  be  in  all  things  thine 
own  master." 

Most  admirable  of  rules.  The  amusements  of 
the  place,  and  most  English  country  places  are 

95 


96  Parlous  Times 

framed  for  some  particular  amusement,  are  put 
unreservedly  at  your  disposal.  Are  you  on  the 
Thames?  Boats  and  boatmen  are  at  your  beck 
and  call.  Are  you  North  in  the  shooting  season  ? 
A  keeper  waits  your  orders.  Do  you  hunt? 
Grooms  and  horses  are  yours  to  command.  But 
none  of  these  things  are  you  ever  compelled  to  do. 
Should  you  fear  the  water,  though  you  are  on  an 
island,  no  one  will  ever  suggest  to  you  the  possi- 
bility of  leaving  it  While  your  ecclesiastical  host, 
Bishop  though  he  be,  would  never  take  it  for 
granted  that  you  were  predisposed  to  week-day 
services  and  charity  bazaars. 

Mrs.  Roberts  was  a  perfect  hostess,  and  there 
was  no  doubt  that  her  house  would  shortly  be  a 
favourite  on  many  lists. 

I  say,  "  would  be,"  advisedly,  for  she  had  quite 
recently  come  into  the  possession  of  her  own, 
which  had  been  another's  ;  a  distant  cousin,  in 
short,  the  last  of  his  branch  of  the  family,  who  had 
the  good  sense  to  drink  himself  to  death,  shortly 
before  the  opening  of  this  narrative,  and  leave  his 
fine  old  Elizabethan  manor  house  to  his  very 
charming  relative,  an  action  which  did  him  no 
credit,  because  the  estate  was  entailed,  and  he 
could  not  help  it. 

Roberts  Hall  had  more  than  one  attraction  •  in- 
deed, it  was  blessed  with  an  unusual  number  of 
delightful  adjuncts  for  a  country  place,  which 
does  not  pretend  to  be  a  demesne.  For  one 
thing,  a  number  of  miles  intervened  between  the 
lodge  gates  and  the  Hall,  and  that,  in  England,  is 


A  House-Warming.  97 

a  great  consideration.  As  long  as  one  has  plenty 
of  land,  the  manner  of  one's  habitation  is  of  little 
account,  while  in  America  houses  must  be  as  large 
or  larger  than  one  can  afford,  and  if  when  they  are 
built  they  cover  most  of  our  land,  we  are  none  the 
worse  off  in  our  neighbour's  estimation. 

The  estate,  moreover,  could  boast  of  many  fal- 
low fields,  and  more  than  one  avenue  of  fine  old 
oaks,  while  it  had  a  deer  park  of  which  many  a 
larger  place  might  have  been  proudh  There  was 
also  a  private  chapel,  for  the  use  of  the  family  and 
tenantry,  boasting  a  great  square  family  pew, 
fenced  round  on  two  sides  with  queer  little  leaden- 
paned  windows,  giving  a  view  of  the  enclosure 
which  contained  the  family  monuments.  It  was 
farther  enriched  by  a  pretentious  piece  of  carving 
in  high  relief,  vigorously  coloured,  representing 
the  resurrection,  wherein  generations  of  defunct 
Roberts  were  depicted  popping  up,  with  no  clothes 
on,  out  of  a  pea-green  field,  much  after  the  man- 
ner of  the  gopher  of  the  prairie. 

The  gardens  were  extensive,  including  two  arti- 
ficial ponds,  which  for  age  and  solidity  might 
have  been  constructed  from  the  beginning,  ten- 
anted by  a  number  of  swans,  all  very  proud  and 
controversial,  and  surrounded  by  an  eight-foot 
hedge  of  holly  which  was  a  crimson  glory  in 
winter. 

But  if  the  place  was  fascinating  without,  it  was 

still  more  so  within.     It  had  a  long  low  entrance 

hall  with  a  tesselated  pavement,   panelled  to  the 

ceiling  with  the  blackest  of  oak,  and  boasting  a 

7 


98  Parlous  Times 

rail  screen  of  the  same  material  dividing  the  apart- 
ment, which  many  a  church  might  have  envied. 
There  was  moreover  a  library  filled  with  a  price- 
less collection  of  old  volumes,  chiefly  perused,  for 
some  fifty  years  past,  by  the  rodents  of  the  estab- 
lishment. 

Mrs.  Roberts  was  in  the  great  hall  when  Stan- 
ley arrived,  and  so  received  him  in  person.  She 
was  a  most  vivacious  little  woman,  to  whom  a 
long  sojourn  on  the  Continent,  coupled  with  a  dip- 
lomatic marriage,  had  given  the  touch  of  cosmo- 
politanism, which  was  all  that  had  been  needed  to 
make  her  perfect. 

"  I'm  awfully  glad  to  see  you,  though  you  are 
the  last  comer,"  she  said  cordially.  "  The  Mar- 
chioness and  Lady  Isabelle,  under  the  escort  of 
Lieutenant  Kingsland,  reached  here  in  time  for 
lunch,  and  Miss  Fitzgerald  came  a  few  hours  later, 
while  Mr.  Riddle  has  just  driven  over." 

"  Mr.  Riddle,"  asked  the  Secretary,  "  who  is 
he?" 

"  Oh,  Arthur  Riddle,  don't  you  know  him  ? 
He  is  one  of  our  county  magnates  and  a  near 
neighbour.  I  hope  you'll  all  like  each  other,  but 
you  must  realise  that  you  have  come  to  the  veri- 
est sort  of  pot-luck.  I  haven't  begun  to  get  set- 
tled yet,  or  know  where  anything  is." 

"You  speak  as  if  you  were  a  visitor,"  he  said, 
laughing. 

"  Indeed,  I  feel  so.  I'm  constantly  getting 
lost  in  this  rambling  old  house,  and  having  to  be 
rescued  by  the  butler." 


A  House-Warming  99 

"  Have  you  really  never  been  here  before  ?  " 
"  It's  my  first  appearance.  It  was  quite  im- 
possible to  visit  here  during  the  lifetime  of  the 
late  owner.  Why,  I  don't  even  know  the  tradi- 
tions of  the  place,  and  it  positively  teems  with 
them.  I  shall  organise  you  all  into  an  exploring 
party,  with  free  permission  to  rummage  from 
garret  to  cellar." 

"  I  suppose  there's  plenty  to  discover  ?  " 
"  Discover  !  My  dear  Mr.  Secretary,  this  place 
is  fairly  alive  with  ghosts,  and  sliding  panels,  and 
revolving  pictures  ;  and  there's  a  great  tiled,  under- 
ground passage  leading  off  from  the  kitchens  into 
the  country  somewhere,  which  everyone  is  afraid 
to  explore,  and  which  the  last  incumbent  had 
nailed  up  because  it  made  him  nervous." 

"  I  hope  you've  reserved  a  nice  cork-screwy 
staircase  with  a  mouldering  skeleton  at  the  top, 
for  my  especial  discovery  and  delectation." 

"  First  come,  first  served,"  she  replied  ;  "  but 
there's  something  in  this  very  hall  that's  worthy 
of  your  mettle,  the  greatest  prize  puzzle  a  hostess 
ever  possessed,  only  I  shan't  forgive  you  if  you 
solve  it,  for  it's  one  of  the  standard  attractions  of 
the  house,  and  has  amused  guests  innumerable." 
"  Trot  it  out  forthwith.  I'm  all  impatience." 
"  I  shall  do  nothing  of  the  kind  unless  you  treat 
it  with  more  respect.  An  oaken  door,  studded 
with  silver  nails,  that  has  not  condescended  to 
open  itself  for  at  least  two  centuries,  cannot  be 
'  trotted  out '  !  " 

"  I  beg  its  humble  pardon,"  said  the  Secretary, 


ioo  Parlous  Times 

approaching  the  door  and  putting  his  shoulder 
against  it.  "  It's  as  steady  as  a  rock." 

"  Oh,  yes.  Nothing  but  dynamite  or  the  proper 
combination  could  ever  move  it  the  fraction  of  an 
inch." 

Stanley  regarded  it  as  it  stood  framed  in  its 
low  Saxon  portal,  a  magnificent  piece  of  black 
oak,  sprinkled  from  top  to  bottom  with  at  least  a 
hundred  huge,  silver-headed  nails,  driven  in  with- 
out any  apparent  design.  Another  peculiarity 
was  that  neither  lock,  hinges,  nor  keyhole  were 
visible. 

"  Does  it  lead  anywhere  ? "  he  asked,  greatly 
interested. 

'•  To  an  unexplored  tower,"  she  replied.  "  To 
which  this  appears  to  be  the  only  entrance ;  at 
least  it  has  no  windows." 

"  How  interesting.  I  wonder  how  they  ever 
got  it  open." 

"  Tradition  says  that  this  is  the  original  of  our 
modern  combination  lock.  No  human  strength 
can  move  it ;  but  once  exert  the  slightest  pressure 
on  the  proper  combination  of  those  silver  nails, 
five  I  believe,  one  for  every  digit,  and  the  portal 
swings  open  of  itself." 

"  And  discloses,  what  ?  " 

"  Open  it  and  see,"  she  answered. 

"  Are  you  sure  the  house  won't  tumble  down  if 
I  do,  or  that  you'll  never  smile  again — or  that 
some  unpleasant  ancestral  prognostication  isn't 
only  awaiting  the  opening  of  that  door  to  fall  due 
and  take  effect  ?  " 


A  House- Warming.  101 

"  I  can't  insure  you,"  she  replied,  "  and  I  wish 
you  wouldn't  talk  such  nonsense,"  and  she  shivered 
slightly. 

"  You  surely  don't  believe,  in  the  nineteenth 

century "  he  began ;  but  she  interrupted  him, 

saying  almost  petulantly  : 

"  You'd  grow  to  believe  anything  if  you  lived 
in  a  place  like  this.  On  the  whole,  I  think  you'd 
better  leave  the  door  alone,"  she  added,  as  he  be- 
gan to  finger  the  nails  thoughtfully,  "  you're  too 
clever,  you  might  succeed." 

"  If  I  do,"  he  assured  her,  "  I'll  promise  to  keep 
my  discoveries  to  myself." 

"  You'd  better  confine  your  attentions  to  the 
library ;  it's  much  more  worthy  of  your  consider- 
ation," she  replied,  evidently  wishing  to  change 
the  subject. 

"  With  pleasure,"  acquiesced  Stanley,  following 
her  lead.  "  And  what  am  I  to  discover  there  ?  " 

"  Nothing.  Now  I  come  to  think  of  it,  it's 
already  pre-empted." 

"  Who  are  our  literary  lights  ?  " 

"  Lady  Isabelle  McLane  and  Lieutenant  Kings- 
land." 

"  I  should  never  have  suspected  it  of  either  of 
them,"  he  replied,  manifestly  surprised,  for  Kings- 
land's  literary  tastes,  as  evidenced  on  the  Thames, 
had  not  been  of  an  elevated  nature ;  and  Lady 
Isabelle  was  too  conventional  and  well-ordered  a 
person  to  care  to  read  much  or  widely. 

"  Nor  should  I,"  agreed  his  hostess ;  "  but  they 
remain  glued  to  the  bookcases,  and  to  see  them 


io2  Parlous  Times 

going  into  raptures  over  an  undecipherable  black 
letter  volume,  adorned  with  illustrations  that  no 
self-respecting  householder  would  admit  to  his 
family  circle,  is,  considering  the  young  lady's 
antecedents  at  least,  rather  amusing.  They've 
the  room  entirely  to  themselves." 

"  Oh !  "  said  Stanley,  and  they  both  laughed. 

"  But  the  Marchioness  is  certain  that  it  is  liter- 
ary enthusiasm,"  she  assured  him. 

"  My  dear  Mrs.  Roberts,"  said  the  Secretary, 
"  that  is  merely  the  wisdom  of  age."  And  they 
laughed  again. 

"And  now,"  he  added,  "if  you'll  permit,  I'll 
begin  my  tour  of  exploration,  by  finding  where 
my  belongings  are  bestowed." 

As  he  spoke,  a  footman  was  at  his  side,  and  his 
hostess,  nodding  cheerfully  to  him,  left  him  to  his 
own  devices. 

Stanley's  room  was  charming,  and  he  was  so 
busy  examining  its  curiosities  that  the  sound  of 
the  dressing-bell  awoke  him  to  the  realities  of  the 
situation  with  a  start  of  surprise  that  he  could 
have  unconsciously  idled  away  so  much  time. 

But  then  there  was  a  fireplace,  almost  as  large 
as  a  modern  bedroom,  ornamented  with  blue  tiles 
of  scriptural  design,  blatantly  Dutch  and  ortho- 
dox ;  and  the  great  logs  resting  on  fire-dogs,  that 
happened  to  be  lions,  which  caused  most  of  the 
guests  to  break  the  tenth  commandment  in 
thought,  and  neglect  to  break  it  in  deed,  only 
because  they  were  unsuited  both  by  weight  and 
design  for  surreptitious  packing  in  bags  or  boxes. 


A  House- Warming.  103 

Also  there  was  the  wall  paper,  rejoicing  in  squares 
of  camels,  and  groves  of  palm  trees,  amidst  which 
surroundings  fully  a  hundred  Solomons  received 
a  hundred  blushing  Queens  of  Sheba.  Moreover, 
there  was  a  huge  four-poster  into  which  you  as- 
cended by  a  flight  of  steps,  and  from  the  depths 
of  whose  feather-beds  you  were  only  rescued  the 
following  morning  by  the  muscular  exertions  of 
your  valet,  which,  as  Kingsland  aptly  remarked  at 
dinner,  was  a  tremendous  cinch  for  the  family 
ghosts,  as  they  could  haunt  you  all  night  long  if 
they  liked,  without  your  ever  being  able  to  re- 
taliate. 

Altogether,  it  is  doubtful  if  Stanley  would  ever 
have  remembered  to  dress  for  dinner,  had  not  his 
meditations  been  interrupted  by  a  series  of  aston- 
ishing sounds  in  the  hall,  which  seemed  to  be- 
token the  movements  of  great  weights  with  stren- 
uous exertions.  Just  at  that  moment  the  valet 
entered  with  his  freshly  brushed  dress  clothes, 
and  a  question  as  to  the  cause  of  the  disturbance 
elicited  the  fact  that : 

"  They  was  Mr.  Riddle's  chests,  sir,"  and  though 
it  wasn't  his  place  to  say  it,  "  he's  a  mighty  queer 
old  gentleman,  gives  magic  lantern  shows  and  en- 
tertainments free  for  charity,  sir." 

"  From  his  luggage,  I  should  imagine  he  was 
supporting  an  opera  troupe." 

"  They  was  labelled  '  steriopticon,'  sir,  but  they 
was  that  heavy " 

"  Thanks,"  broke  in  the  Secretary.  "  That's 
quite  sufficient." 


iO4  Parlous  Times 

He  never  approved  of  encouraging  gossip,  and 
was  not  interested  in  the  description  of  the  be- 
nevolent county  magnate — still  less  in  the  weight 
of  his  chests — yet  he  smiled  quietly  to  himself  as 
he  dressed  for  dinner. 


CHAPTER  X 

BEFORE     DINNER 

THE  Lieutenant  and  Miss  Fitzgerald  were  in 
the  billiard-room,  and  the  former  was  putting  in 
the  half-hour  which  must  elapse  before  dinner  by 
teaching  the  latter  the  science  of  bank-shots. 

"  I  say,"  queried  her  instructor,  in  one  of  the 
pauses  of  the  game,  "  do  you  know  that  little  dip- 
lomatic affair  of  yours  has  turned  up  again  ?  I 
saw  it  driving  in  from  the  station,  half  an  hour 
ago." 

"  Jimsy  Stanley,  I  suppose  you  mean  ?  " 

"The  same, — and  look  here,  you  won't  turn 
crusty,  if  I  ask  you  a  point-blank  question  ?  " 

"  No,  Dottie." 

"  Don't  call  me  that,  you  know  I  hate  it." 

"  Isn't  it  your  naval  sobriquet  ?  " 

"  Never  mind  if  it  is." 

"  But  I  do  mind,  and  I  shall  call  you  what  I 
please,  for  it  suits  you  perfectly.  Well,  then, 
Dottie,  I  don't  mind  your  asking  me  anything,  if 
it's  for  a  purpose,  and  not  for  idle  curiosity." 

"  Oh,  it's  for  a  purpose  fast  enough." 

"  Go  ahead,  then.  I'll  try  and  bank  that  ball 
into  the  side-pocket,  while  you  are  thinking  it 
out," 

105 


io6  Parlous  Times 

"  It  doesn't  need  thinking  out.  It's  just  this: 
Do  you  mean  business  with  Little  Diplomacy  ?  " 

"  What  affair  is  that  of  yours  ? "  she  asked, 
pausing  in  the  act  of  chalking  her  cue. 

"  None,  thank  goodness  ;  but  I'd  like  to  do  a 
pal  a  good  turn,  and  so " 

"  Well  ?  " 

"  If  you'll  accept  a  bit  of  advice." 

"  Out  with  it." 

"  Don't  lose  any  time,  if  you  do  mean  business. 
He's  being  warned  against  you." 

"  Aren't  you  clever  enough  to  know  the  result 
of  that?"  ' 

"  Yes,  if  the  advice  comes  from  a  woman — but 
supposing  it's  from  a  man?" 

"Who?" 

"  Kent-Lauriston." 

Miss  Fitzgerald  so  far  forgot  herself  as  to 
whistle. 

"  How  do  you  know?  " 

"  Gainsborough  told  me.  He  said  he  over- 
heard an  awful  long  confab  between  them  at  the 
St.  James,  two  days  ago,  and  Diplomacy  said  he'd 
write  a  letter  to  our  hostess,  sending  his  regrets." 

"  No  such  letter  has  been  received." 

"  Probably  he  changed  his  mind, — but " 

"  Then  he'll  make  a  clean  breast  of  it  to  me, 
but  I'm  much  obliged  just  the  same,  and  I  won't 
forget  it." 

"  I'll  see  he  owns  up  to  it." 

"  You  won't  do  anything  of  the  sort,  you'll 
bungle  it,  and  there's  an  end  of  things." 


Before  Dinner  107 

"  Have  I  generally  bungled  your  affairs  with 
Little  Diplomacy  ?  " 

"  No.  You  were  a  trump  about  that  launch 
party.  Now  I  mustn't  keep  you  from  her  Lady- 
ship— run  along,  and  remember  if  I  can  be  of  any 
help — just  call  on  me." 

"  You  can  be — and  I  want  you  to " 

She  broke  in  with  a  merry  laugh. 

"  I  knew  it." 

"  Why  ?  " 

"  Because  Lieutenant  Kingsland  doesn't  gener- 
ally put  himself  out  to  oblige  his  friends,  unless 
he  expects  them  to  make  return  with  interest." 

The  gentleman  in  question  looked  sheepish 
and  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  Come  now,"  she  continued  briskly.  "  Let 
me  hear  it,  and  don't  go  blundering  about  for  an 
explanation ;  the  facts  are  sufficient.  I've  been 
alone  with  you  long  enough.  I  don't  wish  to  set 
myself  up  as  a  rival  to  Lady  Isabelle." 

"  It's  about  her  I  want  your  help." 

"  Of  course,  I  know  that.     Go  on." 

"  You  don't  ask  if  I  mean  business." 

"  I  don't  need  to.  I  know  the  amount  in  con- 
sols which  she  received  from  her  grandmother." 

"  Don't  be  so  damned  mercenary !  " 

"  Why  not  say  a  thing  as  well  as  mean  it  ? 
Let's  be  honest  for  once  in  a  way.  Besides,  you're 
not  to  swear  at  me,  Lieutenant  Kingsland — please 
remember  I'm  not  married  to  you." 

"  No.     By  Gad  !     I  wish  you  were." 

"  Oh,  no,  you  don't.     I   haven't  silver  enough 


io8  Parlous  Times 

to  cross  the  palm  of  my  hand.  But  to  come  to 
business.  Doesn't  your  affair  progress  swim- 
mingly ?  " 

"  Why,  it  has  so  far — as  long  as  the  Dowager 
fancied  there  was  danger  from  Little  Diplomacy's 
quarter,  I  was  used  as  a  foil.  Now  that  she 
learned  about  your  claims  she  breathes  again,  and 
gives  me  the  cold  shoulder  in  consequence." 

"  I  suppose  you  haven't  been  wasting  your 
time?"  , 

"  Rather  not." 

"It's  all  right  then?" 

"  Yes,  I  think  so  ;  but  the  old  lady'll  never 
allow  it." 

"  Marry  without  consulting  her," 

"  That's  what  I  mean  to  do." 

"  Where  ?  " 

"  Why,  here.  Haven't  we  got  the  parson  and 
the  church  attached  ?  What  could  be  more  con- 
venient ?  " 

"  Nothing,  if  the  Marchioness  doesn't  suspect  ?  " 

"  But  I'm  afraid  that  she  does." 

"  What— not  that " 

"  Only  that  my  intentions  are  serious." 

"  Transfer  them  to  me  then — temporarily." 

"Won't  do.  Devotion  to  Lady  Isabelle  is 
the  tack.  Why  won't  you  lend  me  your  little 
affair?" 

"What,  Jimsy?" 

"  Yes.  I  fancy  the  old  lady  has  a  mistaken 
idea  that  he's  poverty-stricken.  Of  course,  I  know 
that  can't  be  the  case  if  you— 


Before  Dinner  109 

"  Do  not  finish  that  sentence,  Lieutenant  Kings- 
land  ;  I'm  quite  willing  to  oblige  you — by  men- 
tioning to  the  Dowager  the  amount  of  Mr.  Stan- 
ley's income — if  I  know  it." 

"  She'll  accept  your  word  for  it,  even  if  you 
don't,  and  once  her  attention  is  turned  to  him, 
I'll  have  a  clear  field." 

"  Is  that  the  help  you  wanted  ?  " 

"  No,  I  want  you  to  square  the  parson." 

"  Oh,  I  see ;  that's  a  more  difficult  matter. 
When  do  you  wish  to  command  his  services  ?  " 

"  If  I  need  'em  at  all  it'll  be  in  about  three  days. 
To-day's  Thursday — say  Sunday." 

"  I'll  do  what  I  can." 

"  You're  a  brick.  Oh,  by  the  way,  I  spoke  to 
Darcy  about  that  letter  you  gave  me  at  the  Hyde 
Park  Club." 

"And  he  told  you  to  keep  a  still  tongue  in 
your  head  and  leave  it  to  me." 

"  How  did  you  know  that  ?  " 

"  It's  good  advice,"  she  continued,  ignoring  his 
question,  "  and  I'll  give  you  some  more.  If  I 
make  any  suggestion  after  dinner,  advocate  it 
warmly — put  it  through." 

"  You  mean  to  get  that  letter  to-night  ?  " 

"  I  must  get  it  to-night." 

"  But  suppose  he's  left  it  in  London?" 

"  Then  I  must  find  it  out  this  evening,  and  take 
steps  to  procure  it  there." 

"  You  wouldn't  have  his  rooms  searched  ?  " 

"  I  must  have  that  letter — that's  all,"  she  re- 
plied. "  You  don't  know  what  it  means  to  me?  " 


no  Parlous  Times 

"  I  don't  know  anything  about  it.  But  why 
not  ask  him  for  it  ?  " 

"  Tell  him  it  was  mine,  and  that  I  sent  it  to 
Darcy,"  she  exclaimed,  incredulously. 

"  I  say,"  he  ventured  to  expostulate — "  you 
know  I  am  no  milksop — but  don't  you  think  that 
you  and  the  Colonel  are  getting  a  trifle  thick  ? 
He's  a  married  man,  you  know,  and " 

She  flushed  angrily,  and  then  controlling  her- 
self, said  quietly  : 

"  Oblige  me  by  going  to  the  drawing-room  at 
once,  Lieutenant  Kingsland.  We've  been  here 
too  long  already." 

He  bit  his  lip,  looked  at  her,  laughed  shame- 
facedly, and  thrusting  his  hands  into  his  trousers' 
pockets,  went  out. 

Having  given  him  time  to  make  his  escape,  she 
slowly  followed  his  footsteps. 


Stanley  dreaded  meeting  his  friends,  as  a  man 
does  who  stands  convicted  of  having  done  some- 
thing foolish,  and  while  he  was  wondering  whom 
he  had  better  encounter  first,  Lady  Isabelle  set- 
tled the  question  for  him  by  meeting  him  in  the 
great  hall. 

"  This  is  indeed  unexpected,"  she  said.  "  After 
what  you  told  me  at  Lady  Rainsford's  tea,  it's 
naturally  the  last  place  where  I  should  have 
thought  of  seeing  you." 

"  I  don't  suppose  our  hostess  considered  it  nec- 
essary to  mention  that  I  was  coming,  after  all." 


Before  Dinner  in 

"  I  believe  that  she  did  say  something  at  lunch- 
eon about  receiving  a  telegram  from  you  ;  but  as 
you  had  assured  me  that  you  were  not  to  be  here, 
and  as  I  was  much  engaged " 

"  In  literary  pursuits  with  Lieutenant  Kings- 
land,"  he  said,  finishing  her  sentence  for  her,  at 
which  termination  her  Ladyship  flushed,  and  the 
Secretary  felt  that  in  the  first  round  at  least  he 
had  given  as  good  as  he  had  received. 

"  But  I  want  you  to  understand  the  reason 
of  my  coming,"  he  said,  leading  her  to  a  seat  in  a 
little  alcove.  "  I  feel  that  I  owe  you  some  ex- 
planation." 

"  I  don't  see  why  you  should,"  she  replied 
coldly.  "  I'm  sure  you  have  a  perfect  right  to  do 
one  thing  and  say  another  without  consulting 
me." 

Lady  Isabelle  was  nettled,  for  she  felt  he  had 
trifled  with  the  serious  side  of  her  nature.  She 
had  offered  him  good  advice  which  he  had  pre- 
tended to  accept,  and  straightway  her  back  was 
turned,  he  had  unblushingly  belied  his  words. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  he  said  humbly.  "  I 
shouldn't  have  presumed  to  suppose  that  you 
could  have  felt  any  real  interest  in  my  affairs." 

"  Oh,  but  I  do,"  she  replied,  somewhat  molli- 
fied. "  A  deep  interest,  the  interest  of  a  friend." 

She  made  it  a  point  to  qualify  any  statement 
that  might  be  open  to  possible  misconstruc- 
tion. 

"  I  see  I  shall  have  to  throw  myself  on  your 
mercy,  and  tell  you  the  whole  truth,"  said  Stan- 


ii2  Parlous  Times 

ley,  which  he  proceeded  not  to  do.  "  I  intended 
to  write  a  letter." 

"  It  isn't  necessary.  I  would  accept  your 
word " 

"  But  you'd  still  have  a  lingering  suspicion  of 
me  in  your  heart.  As  I  was  saying — I  intended 
to  write  to  Mrs.  Roberts,  declining  her  invitation, 
and  forgot  to  do  so  till  this  morning,  and  then  I 
made  a  virtue  of  necessity,  and  as  it  was  too  late 
to  refuse,  telegraphed  my  hour  of  arrival." 

Had  the  light  been  a  little  stronger,  he  would 
have  noted  the  quiet  smile  which  played  about 
Lady  Isabelle's  face,  though  her  silence  was,  in  it- 
self, suggestive  of  the  fact  that  she  did  not  believe 
him. 

"  T  probably  shan't  stay  more  than  a  few  days, 
long  enough  to  do  the  proper  thing,  you  know." 

"  Have  you  seen  your  friend  ?  " 

"  Miss  Fitzgerald  ?  On  my  word,  I  haven't  laid 
eyes  on  her.  The  fact  is,  I've  quite  decided  to 
follow  your  advice.  You  must  be  my  guardian 
angel." 

Her  Ladyship  looked  dubious  at  this,  though  the 
role  of  guardian  angel  to  an  attractive  young  man 
has  ever  been  dear  to  the  feminine  heart.  How- 
ever that  may  be,  her  ultimate  decision  was  per- 
force relegated  to  another  interview,  by  the  ap- 
pearance before  them  of  the  subject  of  their  con- 
versation— Miss  Belle  Fitzgerald. 

This  much  discussed  lady  was  dressed  in  the 
apparent  simplicity  which  tells  of  art.  Her  cos- 
tume, the  very  finest  of  white  muslins,  suggested 


Before  Dinner  113 

the  lithe  movements  of  the  body  it  encased,  with 
every  motion  she  made,  and  her  simple  bodice  was 
of  the  fashion  of  thirty  years  ago,  a  fashion  which 
always  inspired  wonder  that  the  clothes  stayed  on, 
and  awe  at  the  ingenuity  with  which  that  miracle 
must  have  been  accomplished.  A  broad  frill  of 
the  same  material,  caught  with  a  knot  of  white 
ribbon  at  her  breast,  framed  her  dazzling  throat  and 
neck,  and  a  yellow  sash,  whose  end  nearly  touched 
the  floor,  encircled  her  waist ;  a  sash  whose  colour 
just  matched  the  tint  of  that  glorious  hair,  which, 
astonishing  to  relate,  hung  loose  down  her  back, 
and  was  surmounted  by  a  very  tiny  white  bow, 
which  was  evidently  a  concession  to  the  demands 
of  conventionality,  as  it  could  have  been  of  no 
possible  use  in  retaining  her  tresses.  That  Miss 
Fitzgerald  was  able  not  only  to  adopt  this  style, 
but  to  carry  it  off  with  unqualified  success,  and 
the  approval  of  all  unprejudiced  observers,  was  its 
own  justification. 

"  I  always  wear  my  hair  like  this  in  the  country," 
she  had  said  at  lunch.  "  It  is  so  much  easier,  and 
I'm  really  not  old  enough  to  paste  it  over  my  fore- 
head and  go  in  for  a  bun  behind  " — this  with  a 
glance  at  Lady  Isabelle,  which  caused  the  Dow- 
ager Marchioness  to  exclaim,  quite  audibly,  that 
it  was  scandalous  for  that  young  person — she  was 
sure  she  had  forgotten  her  name — to  wear  her 
hair  as  if  she  wasn't  yet  eighteen.  Lady  Isa- 
belle, it  may  be  remarked,  could  lay  no  claim  to 
anything  under  twenty. 

But  certainly  in  this  case,  the  end  justified  the 
8 


114  Parlous  Times 

deed,  and  Miss  Fitzgerald,  rejuvenated,  was  one 
of  the  most  simple,  blithesome  and  gay  young 
maidens  that  the  sun  shone  on. 

Possibly  this  was  the  reason  that  she  never  saw 
or  comprehended  the  meaning  of  Lady  Isabelle's 
uplifted  eyebrows  and  steely  glare,  as  she  drew  up 
before  the  couple  and  violated  the  first  rule  of 
fair  and  open  warfare  by  interrupting  their  tete-a- 
tete. 

"Well,  Jimsy,"  she  said,  using  a  form  of  ad- 
dress that  the  rack  would  never  have  wrung  from 
his  companion.  "  How  are  you?  Feeling  fit?" 

He  smiled  uneasily,  and,  for  the  sake  of  saying 
something,  since  her  Ladyship  preserved  an  omi- 
nous silence,  remarked : 

"  There's  no  need  of  putting  that  question  to 
you." 

"  Rather  not.  Once  I'm  in  the  country,  I'm  as 
frisky  as  a  young  colt,"  she  rattled  on.  "  I'm  go- 
ing to  have  such  fun  with  you  and  Kingsland,  and 
I  expect  to  be,  as  usual,  quite  spoiled.  Now,  how 
are  you  going  to  begin  ?  " 

"  Really,"  he  faltered,  rising  in  an  access  of 
agitation,  for  Lady  Isabelle's  expression  was  fear- 
ful  to  behold. 

"  You  shall  run  along  with  me  to  Mrs.  Roberts," 
she  continued,  not  giving  him  an  opportunity  to 
flounder,  "  and  tell  her  that  she  must  send  us 
down  to  dinner  together.  Because  you're  a 
diplomat  and  will  have  a  post  of  honour,  and  the 
butler  has  given  me  the  tip  that  we're  to  have  just 
one  round  of  '80  champagne  before  the  dessert, 


Before  Dinner  115 

and  you  know  we  really  must  have  the  first  of  the 
bottle,  there  is  sure  to  be  sediment  farther  down." 

"  You  must  excuse  me,  but  you  see — Lady  Isa- 
belle,"  and  he  indicated  that  stony  personage. 

"  Oh,  I  beg  Lady  Isabelle's  pardon — it  was  so 
dark  I  didn't  see  her  !  "  she  cried  in  a  fit  of  demure 
shyness,  and  added — "  If  I  have  said  anything  in- 
discreet, do  explain  it,  there's  a  dear,  good  Jimsy." 

"  It's  not  necessary,"  came  the  icy  tones  of  his 
companion.  "  I  shouldn't  think  of  keeping  you, 
Mr.  Stanley,  from  such  congenial  society." 

"  At  least,  let  me  escort  you  to  the  drawing- 
room." 

"  Don't  trouble  yourself,  I  beg.  I  dare  say  I 
shall  find  some  people  there  who  are  contented  to 
wait  till  their  proper  precedence  has  been  allotted 
to  them,"  and  she  turned  away. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  the  irrepressible  Belle  called  after 
her.  "  I  just  sent  Kingsland  up  there.  He's  been 
showing  me  bank  notes  in  the  billiard-room.  I 
thought  I'd  never  get  rid  of  him." 

If  her  Ladyship  heard  this  information  she 
betrayed  no  sign  of  the  fact,  and  Miss  Fitzgerald 
returned  to  more  congenial  fields. 

"  You  behaved  disgracefully,"  said  Stanley,  as 
they  went  in  search  of  Mrs.  Roberts,  "  and  I  shall 
have  to  spend  most  of  this  evening  in  trying  to 
make  my  peace  with  Lady  Isabelle." 

"  Poor,  proper  Jimsy  !  Was  he  shocked  ?  But 
I  really  couldn't  help  it,  you  know — she's  such  a 
funny  old  thing." 

The  Secretary  wisely  changed  the  subject. 


n6  Parlous  Times 

When  they  discovered  Mrs.  Roberts  she  assured 
them  that  their  proposed  arrangement  at  table 
suited  her  exactly,  but  could  not  forbear  whisper- 
ing in  her  niece's  ear  : 

"  I  shouldn't  think  you'd  have  thought  it 
necessary  to  ask.  Of  course,  I'd  arranged  it  that 
way." 

To  which  Miss  Belle  whispered  in  return: 

"  Don't  be  stupid  ! " 


CHAPTER    XI 

AFTER  DINNER 

WHEN  the  Secretary  entered  the  drawing-room 
he  received  a  distinct  shock  of  surprise. 

The  one  person  in  the  party  unknown  to  him 
was  Mr.  Riddle.  Yet  those  high  cheek-bones, 
that  prominent  nose  between  the  deep-set,  rest- 
less eyes,  peering  out  under  their  shaggy  eye- 
brows, were  strangely  familiar.  He  had  seen 
them  once  before  when  they  and  their  owner 
occupied  a  cab  together  with  his  fair  dinner 
partner.  He  was  on  the  point  of  saying  so  to 
her,  but  restrained  himself,  he  hardly  knew  why, 
in  deference,  perhaps,  to  his  diplomatic  training, 
which  forbade  him  ever  to  say  anything  unneces- 
sary. 

Fate  placed  him  next  to  the  Dowager  Mar- 
chioness, who  was  manifestly  displeased  at  his 
presence,  and  lost  no  time  in  making  him  feel 
thoroughly  uncomfortable. 

"  I  had  always  supposed,"  she  began,  before  he 
was  fairly  seated  at  the  table,  "  that  at  this  season 
of  the  year  there  was  a  great  deal  of  activity  in 
the  diplomatic  world." 

"  There  is,"  answered  Stanley  hastily,  scenting 

danger,    and   anxious   to   turn   the   conversation 

117 


n8  Parlous  Times 

from  his  own  affairs.  "  Most  countries  have  a 
little  leisure,  and,  like  Satan,  expend  the  time  in 
making  and  finding  mischief." 

"  That  is,  of  course,  a  matter  of  which  I  am  no 
judge,  Mr.  Stanley,  but  I  should  have  supposed, 
under  the  circumstances,  you  would  naturally  be 
much  occupied." 

"  We  are,"  he  replied,  a  trifle  flippantly.  Flip- 
pancy, he  had  noticed,  was  the  one  thing  that 
drove  the  Marchioness  to  the  verge  of  desperation. 
"  My  Minister  and  my  colleagues  are  working  like 
draught-horses." 

"While  you "  began  her  Ladyship. 

"  I'm  working  also — hard,"  and  he  turned  him- 
self and  the  conversation  to  the  fair  Miss  Fitz- 
gerald, while  the  Dowager  said  things  in  a  loud 
tone  of  voice  about  youthful  diplomacy  to  Mr. 
Lambert,  the  local  incumbent,  who  had  taken  her 
down  to  dinner. 

The  Secretary  was  no  more  fortunate  with  his 
dinner  partner.  Not  that  she  rated  him ;  far  from 
it ;  but  she  was  evidently  making  conversation, 
and  he  could  not  help  feeling  that  the  cordial 
good  fellowship  which  had  hitherto  existed  be- 
tween them  was  now  lacking,  and  that  a  restraint 
had  taken  its  place,  which,  to  say  the  least,  did  not 
promote  their  mutual  ease.  But  there,  he  would 
have  a  talk  with  her  when  opportunity  offered, 
and  they  would  understand  each  other  and  be  as 
good  friends  as  ever ;  nothing  more.  He  knew 
himself  now.  He  was  sure  she  had  never  been  so 
foolish  as  to  suppose  for  an  instant  that  their 


After  Dinner  119 

intimacy  could  mean  anything  further.  She 
would  probably  laugh  at  him  if  he  proposed 
to  her — which  he  would  not  do,  of  course — but  all 
the  same  he  must  make  some  sort  of  an  explana- 
tion, and — what  was  she  saying? — he  had  not 
spoken  for  a  whole  course — what  must  she  be 
thinking  of  him?  He  pulled  himself  together, 
and  rattled  on,  till  his  hostess  gave  the  signal  for 
the  ladies  to  leave  the  table. 

The  interval  for  rest,  refreshment,  and  tobacco 
promised  to  be  somewhat  wearisome,  foe  Kings- 
land  seemed  moody  and  abstracted,  and  Riddle 
and  the  Reverend  Reginald  Lambert  offered,  to 
Stanley's  mind,  little  hope  of  amusement. 

The  good  pastor  was  a  bit  of  an  archaeologist, 
an  enthusiast  on  the  subject  of  early  ecclesiastical 
architecture,  and  the  nominal  duties  of  his  living 
left  him  much  spare  time  for  the  exploitation  of 
this  harmless  fad.  He  was  possessed  of  consider- 
able manual  dexterity  and  a  certain  nicety  in  the 
manipulation  of  whatever  he  undertook,  whether 
it  were  the  restoration  of  parchments  or  the  han- 
dling of  leaden  coffins,  but  apart  from  his  hobby 
he  was  as  prosy  as  the  most  typical  member  of  his 
calling. 

As  the  Secretary  could  not  tell  a  nave  from 
a  chapter  house,  a  very  few  minutes  served  to 
exhaust  his  interest  in  the  good  old  gentleman, 
and  he  turned  to  Mr.  Riddle  in  sheer  despera- 
tion. Stanley  had  conceived  a  dislike  for  the 
stranger  from  the  first  moment  he  had  heard  he 
was  a  fellow-guest,  cither  from  his  reputation 


120  Parlous  Times          . 

for  beneficence  or  his  mysterious  acquaintance 
with  Miss  Fitzgerald.  He  had  at  once  put  him 
down  as  a  hypocrite,  and  his  attitude  towards  him 
was  reserved  in  consequence.  This  sort  of  man, 
he  told  himself,  takes  a  pride  in  his  good  deeds, 
and  can  be  most  easily  approached  on  that  subject. 
Accordingly  he  drew  up  his  chair  and  opened  the 
conversation  with  some  allusion  to  the  chests  of 
stereopticon  fittings. 

"  Yes,  they're  bulky,"  replied  Mr.  Riddle,  "  and 
I  was  almost  ashamed  to  bring  them  with  me — I 
trust  they've  not  annoyed  you." 

"  On  the  contrary,  I  was  hoping  we  might  be 
favoured  with  a  view  of  their  contents." 

"  Oh,  no,"  he  said,  his  face  lighting  up  with  a 
frank  smile,  which  appealed  to  the  Secretary  in 
spite  of  his  prejudices.  "  I  never  inflict  my  fads 
on  my  friends.  I'd  promised  to  send  them  on  to 
a  man  in  London,  and,  as  I  was  coming  in  this 
direction,  brought  them  part  way  myself.  You 
see,  the  average  porter  cannot  understand  that  a 
thing  may  be  heavy  and  yet  fragile — if  a  chest 
weighs  a  geat  deal — and  you'd  be  surprised  how 
heavy  a  case  of  slides  can  be — he  bangs  it  about 
regardless  of  labels  and  warnings ;  so  I  generally 
try  to  keep  an  eye  on  them,  or  put  them  in  the 
charge  of  some  trusty  friend." 

"You  are  much  interested  in  these  things?" 

"  The  slides  ?  Oh,  yes, — collecting  them  be- 
comes  quite  absorbing,  and  now  these  clever 
scientists  of  ours  are  able  to  photograph  directly 
on  them,  it  increases  our  field  immensely," 


After  Dinner  121 

"  Of  course  the  good  you  can  do  with  them 

mus  the  their  chief  charm  to  you "  began  the 

Secretary,  sententiously. 

The  answer  surprised  him. 

0  Not  at  all.  On  the  contrary,  my  charities,  if 
they  are  charities,  are  of  a  very  selfish  sort.  I 
suppose  you've  some  kind  of  amusement  which 
you  turn  to  in  your  hours  for  relaxation  ?  Golf, 
tennis,  hunting,  what  not.  These  little  entertain- 
ments are — mine.  I  thoroughly  enjoy  them.  The 
fact  is,  I'm  passionately  fond  of  children,  and  not 
having  any  of  my  own,  I've  adopted  everybody 
else's  for  the  time  being.  But  it's  selfish,  purely 
selfish.  Some  benighted  idiots  call  me  a  philan- 
thropist— I'd  like  to  have  them  come  pressing 
their  claims  for  lazy  heathen  in  my  bank  parlour, 
they'd  find  out  what  sort  of  business  man  I  was." 
And  this  queer  specimen  doubled  up  his  fists, 
and  broke  into  a  roar  of  laughter,  which  was  too 
hearty  to  have  been  assumed.  "  I'll  tell  you 
what  it  is,"  he  continued,  "  if  it  wasn't  for  our 
good  dominie  there,  I'd  admit  to  you  that  I  hate 
a  real  professional  philanthropist — ten  to  one  he's 
a  humbug." 

The  parson  held  up  his  hands,  and  Stanley 
laughed  nervously — the  man  was  actually  voicing 
his  own  thoughts. 

"  As  for  charity — Bah  !  Charity  begins  at 
home.  It  doesn't  go  racing  over  the  country 
with  magic  lantern  shows — that's  real  downright, 
selfish  egotism." 

Then,  evidently  feeling  that  the  conversation 


122  Parlous  Times 

had  proceeded  far  enough  in  this  direction,  he 
broke  off  suddenly,  remarking : 

"  They  tell  me  that  you're  a  diplomat." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Secretary.  "  Perhaps  you 
know  my  chief?" 

"  I've  not  that  honour.  Indeed  I've  never  had 
any  dealings  with  your  countrymen  but  once,  and 
then  I'd  reason  to  regret  it." 

"  Really  ?     I'm  sorry  to  hear  that." 

"  It  was  with  a  large  manufacturing  company," 
he  continued,  and  mentioned  the  name  of  the 
concern  which  had  such  a  sinister  reputation  in 
regard  to  the  treaty. 

"  Oh,"  said  the  Secretary,  at  once  alert  for  any 
information  he  might  pick  up.  "  You  mustn't 
judge  my  countrymen  by  that  concern — anyway 
I  understand  that  it's  really  owned  in  Eng- 
land." 

"  Ah,  is  it  so  ?  I  can't  say  how  that  may  be, 
I'm  sure  ;  but  I  know  they  kept  so  closely  to  the 
letter  of  their  contracts  with  my  bank,  that  it  al- 
most crossed  the  border  line  from  strict  business 
to  sharp  dealing." 

"  I'm  sorry  you  should  have  been  annoyed,  but 
I  know  nothing  about  it.  We — my  father,  is  in- 
terested in  sugar,  and  that,  as  you  see,  wouldn't 
bring  us  into  any  connection  with  their  line  of 
business." 

"  No,  of  course  not.  Do  you  happen  to  know 
who  are  the  heads  of  the  firm  in  this  country?" 

"  I  haven't  any  idea,"  the  Secretary  answered, 
very  tersely.  "  I  fancy  they're  in  the  nature  of 


After  Dinner  123 

silent  partners.  But  I  dare  say  they  might  be 
known  in  business  circles." 

"  Oh,  the  matter  doesn't  interest  me — except 
as  I've  mentioned.  It  was  recalled  to  my  mind 
by  some  notice  of  a  treaty  I  saw  the  other  day  in 
the  papers — which  I  should  fancy  would  rather 
cripple  their  resources,  if  it  went  through." 

The  Secretary  held  his  peace,  and  silence  falling 
upon  the  room,  the  Reverend  Reginald  deposited 
the  butt  of  his  cigar  tenderly  in  the  ash-tray,  and 
blew  his  nose  lustily,  as  a  preparatory  signal  for  a 
retreat  to  the  upper  regions.  The  others  obeyed 
the  hint,  and  a  moment  later  were  on  their  way 
to  the  drawing-room. 


Miss  Fitzgerald's  resentment  towards  the  Lieu- 
tenant had  been  short-lived,  and  she  was  quite 
ready  to  aid  and  abet  him  to  the  extent  of  her 
power,  the  more  so  as  his  success  would  upset 
the  most  cherished  plans  of  the  Marchioness,  who 
was,  for  the  time  being,  the  Irish  girl's  pet  de- 
testation. Accordingly  she  took  up  her  station 
near  that  matron,  who  descended  on  her  forth- 
with. 

"  I  suppose,  my  dear,"  said  the  Dowager,  with 
an  assumption  of  friendly  interest  that  was  even 
more  terrible  to  behold  than  the  coldness  of  her 
wrath,  "  I  can  only  suppose,  from  what  I  could 
not  help  observing  at  table  this  evening,  that  you 
are  soon  to  be  a  subject  of  congratulations." 

"  Really  I  don't  understand." 


124  Parlous  Times 

"  Of  course,  I  shouldn't  think  of  forcing  your 
confidence,  but  when  an  engagement  is  unan- 
nounced there's  a  degree  of  uncertainty." 

"  Oh,  but  I  think  you're  mistaken,"  said  Miss 
Fitzgerald,  lifting  her  liquid  blue  eyes  to  the 
Dowager's  face,  with  an  expression  of  innocence, 
which  was  the  perfection  of  art.  "  I'm  much  too 
young  to  think  of  such  things — besides,  who'd 
have  me,  with  no  dower  except  my  beauty,  such 
as  it  is,  which,  as  your  Ladyship  knows,  is  not 
lasting." 

The  Marchioness  fairly  snorted  with  rage.  She 
had  been  a  Court  belle  in  her  time. 

"  Some  country  parson,  perhaps,"  continued 
Miss  Fitzgerald  reflectively  ;  "  but  then  I  fear  I 
should  not  make  a  good  parson's  wife." 

"I  should  doubt  it,"  assented  the  Dowager  with 
asperity. 

"  No  millionaires  would  think  of  me  for  a 
moment." 

"  I  did  not  know  there  were  any  such  here." 

"  What,  not  Mr.  Stanley  ?  " 

"Mr.  Stanley?" 

"  Why,  to  be  sure.  He's  worth  millions  they 
say.  Stanley  &  Son,  South  American  sugar. 
Anyone  in  the  city  would  confirm  my  statements, 
but  you  don't  know  the  city  of  course — Lieutenant 
Kingsland  could  tell  you  more  about  him  if  you 
cared  to  hear  it,"  and  she  moved  away  as  the 
gentlemen  entered  the  room,  and  running  up  to 
Stanley,  exclaimed  : — 

"  You've  been  an   interminable  length  of  time 


After  Dinner  125 

over  your  cigars.  Men  are  so  selfish  and  I'm 
simply  dying  for  a  game  of  hearts." 

"  You  play  it  so  much  I  should  think  you 
would  tire  of  it,"  he  said,  smiling. 

"  Tut !  tut !  naughty  man !  This  is  serious 
business.  Sixpence  a  heart,  and  you  mustn't  win, 
for  I'm  quite  impoverished.  You'll  be  one  of  the 
party,  Jack,"  she  continued,  turning  to  Kingsland, 
who  had  just  come  up. 

"  Nothing  I  should  like  better.  I  always  ap- 
prove of  assisting  the  undeserving,"  replied  the 
Lieutenant,  and  added :  "  I'll  get  Lady  Isabelleto 
join  us."  A  very  valuable  piece  of  assistance,  as 
her  Ladyship  would  hardly  have  done  so  on  Miss 
Fitzgerald's  unsupported  invitation  ;  and  since  it 
was  manifestly  an  affair  of  the  young  people,  this 
deflection  might  have  ruined  all. 

The  Lieutenant's  request,  however,  had  due 
weight,  and  she  graciously  consented  to  join  the 
party,  which  was  further  augmented  by  Mr.  Riddle, 
who  declared  that  "young people  "meant anyone 
who  felt  young,  and  so  he  did  not  intend  to  be 
excluded. 

The  cards  were  accordingly  shuffled,  but  during 
the  deal,  Belle  discovered  that  though  she  had  a 
pencil,  no  paper  for  scoring  was  anywhere  obtain- 
able. 

"  Oh,  any  old  scrap  will  do,"  she  said.  "  Surely 
some  of  you  gentlemen  have  an  old  envelope  on 
which  we  can  keep  tally.  Jack?  Mr.  Riddle?" 

Both  gentlemen  professed  to  an  utter  absence 
of  any  available  material. 


126  Parlous  Times 

"  You,  Jim — then?  "  she  queried,  turning  to  the 
Secretary. 

"  I  don't  generally  carry  my  correspondence 
round  in  my  evening  clothes,"  he  protested, 
laughing. 

"  Idiot !  "  she  retorted,  with  an  affected  depth 
of  scorn.  "  How  can  you  tell  unless  you've 
looked?" 

"  Oh  well,"  he  replied,  "  to  please  you " 

and  thrust  his  hand  into  the  pocket  of  his  coat. 
4<  Why,"  he  exclaimed,  "  here  is  something !  I  de- 
clare, it's  that  mysterious  letter  which  I  intercepted 
at  the  Hyde  Park  Club  night  before  last.  Let 
me  see,  Kingsland,  I  think  it  dropped  from  the 
ceiling  into  your  hands." 

"  The  letter  belongs  to  me,"  came  the  keen 
voice  of  Mr.  Riddle. 

"  To  you  ! "  said  Stanley,  in  genuine  surprise. 

"  Yes.  I  gave  it  to  Lieutenant  Kingsland  at 
the  Hyde  Park  Club." 

"  But  surely,"  contended  the  Secretary,  "Lieu- 
tenant Kingsland  told  me,  only  that  morning,  that 
he  didn't  know  who  you  were." 

Silence  fell  on  the  little  company.  The  Lieu- 
tenant flushed  and  moved  uneasily  in  his  seat,  and 
Miss  Fitzgerald  leaned  forward  with  a  strained 
look  in  her  face,  while  the  keen,  restless  eye  of 
Mr.  Riddle  swept  round  the  table,  taking  in  all 
present  at  a  glance. 

Then  he  spoke,  with  quick  decision. 

"  Quite  true.  I  did  not  till  to-day  have  the 
pleasure  of  knowing  Lieutenant  Kingsland.  I 


After  Dinner  127 

saw  him  leaving  the  room  at  the  club,  however, 
and  though  he  was  a  stranger,  ventured,  as  I  was 
unable  to  leave  my  party,  to  ask  him  to  do  me  the 
favour  to  post  a  letter  for  me,  handing  him  two- 
pence for  the  stamp.  I  had,  it  seems,  very  care- 
lessly forgotten  to  address  it." 

"  Yes,"  broke  in  the  Lieutenant,  catching  his 
breath.  "  You  remember  I  told  you  I  didn't 
know  who  had  given  it  to  me." 

"  You  will  notice,"  continued  Mr.  Riddle,  "that 
the  envelope  is  sealed  with  the  initials  A.  R.  in- 
closed in  scroll  work.  Here " — detaching  it 
from  his  watch  chain — "  is  the  seal  with  which  the 
impression  was  made." 

A  cursory  glance  assured  Stanley  that  it  was  the 
same. 

"  If  you  doubt  my  statement,"  continued  Mr. 
Riddle  affably,  "  we  can  procure  some  wax  and 
make  a  duplicate " 

The  Secretary  hastened  to  disclaim  any  such  in- 
tention. Why  should  he  doubt  this  gentleman's 
word  ?  Kingsland  corroborated  his  story,  and  the 
letter  was  no  concern  of  his,  anyway.  Indeed, 
as  he  said,  in  handing  it  over  to  its  owner,  he  felt 
that  he  owed  him  an  apology  for  his  unwarrant- 
able interference  in  the  matter. 

At  this  point  Miss  Fitzgerald  resumed  the  con- 
versation. 

"  There  !  "  she  cried.  "  You  and  your  stupid 
letter  have  lost  me  the  deal,  for  I  don't  know 
where  I  left  off.  Take  the  cards  and  deal  for  me — 
I'll  run  downstairs  and  get  a  clean  sheet  of  paper, 


128  Parlous  Times 

and  come  in  on  the  next  hand/'  and  suiting  the 
action  to  the  word,  she  pushed  the  pack  over  to 
Stanley,  and  ran  from  the  room. 

A  moment  later  the  game  was  in  progress.  Mr. 
Riddle  was  the  life  and  soul  of  the  party,  and  his 
irresistible  mirth  and  good  humour  put  every  one 
at  his  ease. 

The  impoverished,  it  is  perhaps  needless  to  say, 
were  duly  remunerated ;  and  the  Secretary,  after  a 
round  of  whiskies  and  sodas,  retired  to  his  room, 
feeling  that  the  evening  had  been  a  triumphant 
success,  and  reflecting  ruefully  that  he  was  yet  very 
young,  for  a  little  brief  authority  had  made  him 
suspicious  of  everybody.  Had  he  not  put  down 
Mr.  Riddle  as  a  hypocrite,  when  that  gentleman 
was  one  of  the  most  open,  whole-hearted  and 
mirthful  personages  in  existence  ?  As  for  the  let- 
ter it  was  an  unfortunate  incident,  very  success- 
fully brought  to  a  close.  Something  was  wrong 
with  Belle,  however.  She  had  left  him  with  a 
shrug  and  laugh,  saying :  "  Oh,  there  is  no  real 
gambling  in  a  mere  game  of  cards.  Try  life ! " 


CHAPTER  XII 
A     MORNING     CALL 

THE  Dowager  was  being  created  for  the  day. 
Created  seems  the  only  term  applicable  to  the 
process,  for  Lily,  Marchioness  of  Port  Arthur,  as 
finished  by  her  Maker  and  her  maid,  were  two 
entirely  distinct  and  separate  articles.  Stimson 
alone  was  initiated  in  these- mysteries.  Even  Lady 
Isabelle  had  never  been  allowed  to  see  her  mother 
as  she  really  was,  and  no  one  exactly  knew  how 
she  was  put  together,  though  several  tradesmen  in 
Bond  Street  might  have  been  able  to  make  shrewd 
guesses  at  her  component  parts. 

The  Dowager  never  appeared  in  public  until 
lunch  time.  She  had,  she  told  her  friends,  earned 
the  right  to  this  little  luxury  now  that  the  struggle 
of  life  was  nearly  over.  Doubtless  her  Ladyship 
knew  best  what  she  had  done  to  deserve  such  an 
indulgence.  But,  be  that  as  it  may,  her  daily 
retirement  gave  her  a  much  coveted  opportunity  for 
attending  to  matters  in  the  private  life  of  other 
people,  and  one  of  these  affairs  claimed  her 
attention  after  the  Secretary's  arrival  at  Roberts' 
Hall. 

Stimson  had  finished  her  morning's  budget ; 
9  "9 


130  Parlous  Times 

that  is,  she  had  retailed  to  her  Ladyship  all  those 
things  about  which  the  Dowager  declared  patheti- 
cally she  had  not  the  slightest  desire  to  know,  but 
which,  had  the  maid  omitted  to  mention  them, 
would  have  cost  her  her  place. 

"And  so,  as  I  was  saying,  my  Lady,"  Stimson 
concluded  her  recital,  "  Mr.  Stalbridge,  the  butler, 
he  tells  me  as  there  was  a  strange  lady  come  to 
Coombe  Farm  yesterday,  a  foreigner  like." 

"  I  do  not  know,  Stimson,  why  you  worry  me 
with  these  trivialities,"  said  the  Dowager,  "  in 
which  I  can  have  no  possible  interest.  You  say  she 
was  a  foreigner  ?  " 

"  Yes,  my  lady.  A  Spaniard,  Mr.  Stalbridge 
thought,  and  her  name " 

"  You  needn't  trouble  me  to  tell  me  her  name, 
Stimson." 

"  No,  my  Lady.  I  shouldn't  presume,  my  Lady. 
But,  of  course,  when  I  heard  as  it  was  Madame 
Darcy,  I  couldn't  help  thinking " 

"I  do  not  employ  you  to  think,  Stimson.  I 
understand  you  to  say  that  the  lady's  name  was 
Madame  Darcy?  Surely  my  daughter  met  a 
Madame  Darcy  the  other  night,  somewhere?" 

"  Yes,  my  Lady,  at  Mr.  Stanley's  dinner." 

"  It  is  quite  immaterial  to  me  where  Lady  Isa- 
belle  met  this  person.  But,  as  you  say,  it  was  at 
Mr.  Stanley's  dinner.  So  I  infer  she  must  be  a 
friend  of  his." 

"  She's  not  staying  at  the  Hall,  my  Lady." 

"  No,"  said  the  Marchioness.  "  I  shouldn't 
have  supposed  she  would  stay  at  the  Hall.  Stim- 


A  Morning  Call  131 

son,   you   may   get   me  my  bonnet  and  a  light 
shawl." 

"  But  I  thought  your  Ladyship  said  as  how 
you  was  not  well  enough  to  go  out  this  morn- 

ing." 

"  I  said,  Stimson,  that  you  could  get  me  my 
bonnet  and  a  light  shawl.  Perhaps  a  little  air 
will  do  me  good." 

"  If  your  Ladyship  was  thinking  of  taking  a 
little  stroll,  it's  very  pretty  towards  the  Coombe 
Farm,  not  ten  minutes'  walk  across  the  Park  to  the 
left  of  the  house." 

"  As  you  very  well  know,  Stimson,"  her  mistress 
remarked  with  asperity,  "  I  am  too  nearly  totter- 
ing on  the  brink  of  the  grave  to  venture  out  of  the 
garden.  Perhaps  there  is  a  side-door  by  which  I 
can  leave  the  house  and  be  alone.  I  shouldn't 
have  the  strength  to  talk  to  anybody." 

"  No,  your  Ladyship.  I'll  show  you  the  way, 
and  if  Mrs.  Roberts  should  send  to  inquire  for 
your  Ladyship's  health " 

"  Say  I  have  been  obliged  to  lie  down  by  a 
headache,  and  shall  not  appear  till  lunch." 

"  But  if  anyone  saw  your  Ladyship— 

"  In  that  case,"  snapped  the  Marchioness,  "  I 
should  be  obliged  to  dismiss  you  as  being  un- 
truthful." 

In  a  good  cause  the  Dowager  was  only  too  apt 
to  overtax  her  strength,  and  this  was  probably  the 
reason  why,  half  an  hour  later,  she  was  obliged  to 
sink  down  on  a  wooden  bench  outside  the  door  of 
Coombe  Farm  and  request  the  privilege  of  resting 


132  Parlous  Times 

herself  for  a  few  minutes.  The  farmer's  wife,  who, 
like  most  people  of  her  class,  took  a  vast  interest 
in  the  guests  at  the  Hall,  knew  intuitively  that  she 
was  a  Marchioness,  and  having  ducked  almost  to 
the  dust,  rushed  into  the  house  to  get  her  Lady- 
ship a  glass  of  fresh  milk  and  impart  the  astound- 
ing intelligence  to  her  lodger.  A  moment  later 
Madame  Darcy  appeared  upon  the  scene. 

"  I  am  going  to  take  the  liberty  of  introducing 
myself,  as  I  have  the  pleasure  of  knowing  your 
daughter,"  she  said. 

Her  Ladyship  was  affable  in  the  extreme. 

"  This  is,  indeed,  a  pleasure,  Madame  Darcy," 
she  murmured.  "  Dear  Isabelle  was  so  impressed 
with  you  the  other  night  that  she  has  done 
nothing  but  talk  of  you  since  ;  but,  of  course,  I 
could  not  have  supposed  my  walk  would  have  had 
such  a  charming  termination.  Is  not  your  coming 
into  the  country  rather  unexpected  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  replied  Madame  Darcy.  "  It  is  what 
you  in  this  country  call  a  whim,  is  it  not?  I  am 
not  yet  quite  sure  of  your  language." 

The  Marchioness  smiled  indulgently. 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  "  that's  quite  right.  It  is  very 
clever  of  you." 

"  I  do  not  like  your  London,"  pursued  the 
stranger.  "  It  suffocates  me,  and  I  wish  to  run 
away  into  the  country." 

"  And  how  did  you  know  of  this  charming 
spot  ?  "  said  her  Ladyship,  still  angling  on  general 
principles. 

"  Oh,  I  have  heard  it  mentioned." 


A  Morning  Call  133 

"By  Mr.  Stanley,  perhaps?"  suggested  the 
Dowager.  "You  knew  he  was  to  be  here." 

"  Oh,  yes,"  rejoined  Madame  Darcy,  judging  it 
better  to  be  frank.  "  But  I  came  here  to  be  quite 
alone.  I  need  rest  and  quiet." 

"  I  see,"  said  the  Marchioness,  who  was  quite 
bewildered.  "  But  you  and  Mr.  Stanley  are  very 
old  friends,  are  you  not?" 

"Our  fathers  were.  We  have  not  met  often 
recently." 

"Yes,  yes,  of  course,"  said  the  Marchioness. 
"  Mr.  Stanley  told  me.  He's  such  a  nice  young 
fellow.  We  often  see  him  at  our  house.  I  take 
quite  an  interest  in  him.  And  how  pleasantly  he 
is  situated,  too.  Diplomacy  is  such  a  delightful 
profession.  But  then " — and  here  she  sighed 
gently — "  like  other  delightful  things  in  this  world 
it  must  require  a  very  long  purse." 

If  Madame  Darcy  had  had  any  knowledge  of 
English  manners  and  customs,  the  Dowager's 
method  of  attack  would  have  put  her  on  her 
guard  at  once.  But  being  totally  unversed  in  the 
ways  of  British  matrimonial  diplomacy,  she  took 
the  Marchioness'  remarks  to  mean  nothing  more 
than  an  expression  of  kindly  interest  in  the  young 
man's  welfare,  and  did  not  hesitate  to  inform  her 
that  the  Secretary  was  amply  able  to  afford  any 
position  he  chose  to  take. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  the  Dowager.  "  His  father's 
greatly  interested  in  sugar,  I  believe.  Or  is  it 
salt?  I  am  very  ignorant  about  these  matters. 
Which  do  you  grow  in  your  country  ?  " 


134  Parlous  Times 

Madame  Darcy  repressed  a  smile  and  informed 
her  guest  that  Mr.  Stanley's  father  grew  sugar, 
and  was  one  of  the  most  wealthy  planters  in  that 
section  of  the  world. 

"  Well,  I  must  be  going  now,"  said  the  Mar- 
chioness.  "  I  have  had  such  a  pleasant  little 
chat,  and  I  shall  certainly  ask  Mrs.  Roberts  to  call 
on  you." 

"  Oh,  pray  don't,"  returned  Madame  Darcy. 
"  That  is — excuse  me,  I  did  not  mean  to  be  rude 
—but  I  have  come  down  here  for  absolute  rest, 
and  do  not  feel  in  the  mood  for  any  gaiety." 

"  I  quite  understand,"  said  the  Dowager,  "  and 
will  respect  your  feelings.  Indeed,  I  will  not 
mention  having  met  you  at  all,  and  then  no  one 
need  be  the  wiser.  No,  thanks.  I  shall  be  quite 
able  to  go  by  myself.  Perhaps  we  may  meet 
again  in  London.  You  must  ask  Mr.  Stanley  to 
bring  you  to  call  on  me.  Such  a  nice  young  fel- 
low !  He  ought  to  be  married  to  keep  him  out 
of  mischief."  And  the  Marchioness  returned  to 
her  room  to  complete  her  headache. 

Scarcely  fifteen  minutes  had  elapsed  since  the 
Dowager's  departure,  when,  just  by  accident,  Stan- 
ley strolled  by,  and  lifting  his  eyes  caught  sight 
of  Madame  Darcy's  face  at  the  cottage  window. 

"What!"  he  exclaimed.  "You  here!"  and 
stood  silent  a  moment  as  a  wave  of  feeling  rushed 
over  him,  the  first  pleasure  of  seeing  her  sad 
sweet  face  being  swept  away  by  consternation  at 
the  thought  of  how  she  had  played  into  her  hus- 
band's hands  by  following  him  to  this  place. 


A  Morning  Call  135 

She  read  what  was  in  his  mind,  saying,  with 
that  charming  accent  which  appealed  to  him  so 
strongly : 

"You  should  not  express  your  thoughts  so 
clearly  in  your  face.  You  are  thinking — but  it  is 
not  of  me — it  is  of  yourself — in  this  part  of  the 
world  men  think  only  of  themselves — in  my 
country  they  think  of  us."  And  she  gave  a  sigh. 

"  You  are,  what  you  English  call  '  put  out '  at 
my  coming — you  think  it  will  compromise  you — 
strange  country  where  the  men  consider  that  they 
will  be  compromised.  You  do  not  think  of  me, 
not  one  little  bit — eh  ?  I  am  right  ?  " 

"  I'm  afraid  so,"  he  said.  "  You  see,  nowadays, 
chivalry  doesn't  exist  far  north  or  south  of  the 
equator." 

She  shrugged  her  shoulders. 

"  I  carry  my  own  climate,  my  own  atmosphere," 
she  said. 

The  Secretary  bowed. 

"  No  ?  You  are  not  convinced  ?  I  had  thought 
better  of  you." 

"  You  see,"  he  said,  feeling  it  wiser  to  be  blunt, 
feeling  that  he  must,  if  possible,  bring  this  way- 
ward, entrancing,  fantastic  creature  within  the 
limits  of  practical  common  sense.  "  You  see, 
your  precious  husband  has  been  making  trumped- 
up  charges  against  me,  on  your  account,  which 
are  highly  unpleasant." 

"  He  is  a  beast!" 

"Quite  so,  but  as  far  as  circumstantial  evi- 
dence goes,  he  has  some  cause  on  his  side.  Your 


136  Parlous  Times 

arrival  at  my  private  apartments  in  London  was 
most  unfortunate;  but  your  following  me  here 
was  simply  the  worst  sort  of  foolishness." 

The  Secretary  was  aggrieved  and  showed  it ; 
but  the  result  of  his  plaint  was  most  unexpected. 

His  fair  companion  sprang  to  her  feet  and  gave 
him  a  flashing  glance,  that  startled  him  out  of  the 
fancied  security  of  his  egotism. 

"  I  come  here  to  follow  you !  How  dare 
you?" 

"  Oh,  I  beg  your  pardon.  I  didn't  mean  to  be 
rude,  really ;  but  I  naturally  inferred " 

"  No  !  "  she  cried.  "  Why  should  I  come  for 
you  ? — Bah  !  I  come  for  her  /  " 

"For  whom?" 

"  For  her"  she  cried,  pointing  towards  the 
Hall. 

.  "For  her?"  inquired  Stanley,  somewhat  dazed 
by  this  unexpected  change  of  base.  "  But  who  is 
she?" 

"  I  do  not  know.  I  do  not  care ;  but  she  writes 
to  my  husband — she  makes  appointments  with 
him." 

"  Oh,  the  nameless  friend." 

"  Now  you  understand  why  I  have  come  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  see.  Still  I  think  it  lays  you  open  to 
misconstruction.  You  had  better  return  to  Lon- 
don. I  suppose  you  know  you  were  followed  to 
my  house?" 

She  snapped  her  fingers  airily. 

"  I  care  just  that  for  being  followed.  What  of 
it?" 


A  Morning  Call  137 

"My  dear  Inez,  you  forget  that  you're  not  in 
our  native  country.  We  can't  fight  duels  galore 
in  this  part  of  the  world,  and  cut  the  throats  of 
inconvenient  witnesses.  People  will  talk ;  there 
are  the  newspapers  ;  and — the  dowagers  ;  and  the 
nonconformist  conscience  to  be  considered.  You 
don't  know  what  you  are  letting  me — I  mean 
yourself,  in  for." 

"  I  tell  you,  I  must  confirm  my  suspicions.  I 
must  see  your — what  you  call  it — your  visitors' 
book — which  they  have  in  great  houses — I  must 
compare  the  handwriting  of  the  guests  with  the 
handwriting  of  these  letters.  When  I  have  proved 
my  case  I  will  return  to  London — not  one  moment 
before.  You  are  my  friend,  you  will  help  me." 

"  Of  course  I  will  help  you  ;  but  I  assure  you 
there  is  no  one  in  the  house  who  could  be  sus- 
pected for  a  moment." 

"  At  least,  you  will  help  me  to  prove  myself 
wrong?  "  and  she  shot  at  him  one  of  those  unset- 
tling glances. 

"  Of  course — with  all  my  heart — and  then  you'll 
go  back  to  London  and  take  Mr.  Sanks'  advice, 
won't  you?" 

"  You  are  very  anxious  to  have  me  go,"  she 
said,  piqued. 

"  No,  no  ! "  he  assured  her  hastily.  "  Far  from 
it ;  but  can't  you  see — that  it  is  for  your  sake  that 
I  urge  it.  Supposing  anyone  saw  us  now  ;  what 
would  they  think,  what  could  they  think — an 
early  morning  rendezvous." 

"  They  would   say   that   you   were   making  a 


138  Parlous  Times 

report  to  me  of  your  progress  in  discovering  the 
plot  against  the  treaty  between  England  and  our 
country." 

He  looked  at  her  dumbfounded  and  said  noth- 
ing. Indeed  there  was  nothing  he  could  say  with- 
out risking  some  imprudent  disclosure. 

"  Ah,"  she  cried,  laughing  merrily  at  his  dis- 
comfiture. "  You  see,  you  diplomats  do  not  know 
everything.  It  is  true  I  only  write  supervised 
letters  home,  but  that  does  not  prevent  my  re- 
ceiving letters  from  my  country  first  hand,  and  my 
father  has  written  much  about  this  treaty.  It 
seems  they  are  going  to  try  and  bribe  the  Sena- 
tors to  defeat  it,  with  money  raised  here,  and  some 
cowardly  scoundrel  has  been  engaged  as  go-be- 
tween." 

Stanley  stood  looking  at  her  in  horrified  aston- 
ishment. Was  it  possible  that  if  she  knew  so 
much  she  did  not  know  that  she  was  condemning 
her  own  husband  ?  But  her  next  words  proved  to 
him  that  such  must  be  the  case. 

"  My  father  writes  me,"  she  continued,  "  that 
on  proving  the  identity  of  this  go-between,  the 
success  or  failure  of  the  plot  depends,  and  so  far, 
the  government  have  been  at  a  loss  to  identify 
him." 

The  Secretary,  who  held  the  key  to  the  situa- 
tion, could  see  excellent  reasons  why  the  Execu- 
tive had  kept  Seflor  De  Costa  in  the  dark ;  what 
Madame  was  saying  was  evidently  what  every- 
body knew.  Of  the  truth  she  had  not  the  remot- 
est inkling. 


A  Morning  Call  139 

"  Well,"  she  cried  gaily,  "  why  don't  you 
speak  ?  " 

"  I  have  nothing  to  say,"  he  replied. 

"  Diplomatic  to  the  end,  I  see,"  she  retorted. 
"  But  you  can't  expect  to  share  my  confidences 
unless  you  give  me  yours.  Now  tell  me,  have 
you  discovered  any  of  the  conspirators  yet  ?  " 

"  I  can  truthfully  say,"  he  replied,  "  that  as  far 
as  I  know,  there  is  nobody  at  Roberts'  Hall  con- 
nected with  the  conspiracy  to  which  you  allude." 

"So  you've  come  down  here  at  the  busiest 
season  of  your  year  on  indefinite  leave  just  to  pay 
a  country-house  visit." 

"  How  did  you  know  that  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Randell,"  she  replied. 

"Good  Heavens  !"  he  cried,  "you  haven't  been 
to  my  rooms  again." 

"  Naturally  not,"  she  returned  coldly.  "  Your 
servant  brought  a  pair  of  gloves  to  my  hotel,  which 
I  left  at  your  rooms." 

The  Secretary  bit  his  lips  and  changed  the  con- 
versation, and  made  a  mental  note  of  the  fact  that 
if  Randell  was  becoming  talkative,  he  would  have 
to  go. 

"  You  asked  me,"  he  said,  "  if  I  had  discovered 
one  of  the  agents  of  this  mysterious  treaty  of 
which  you  seem  to  know  so  much.  Perhaps  you 
will  tell  me  if  you  have?  " 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  smiling. 

"Who  is  it?"  he  asked. 

"  Ah  !  "  she  cried.  "  I  thought  I  should  break 
down  your  reserve." 


140  Parlous  Times 

"Well,"  he  said  sheepishly,  "what  have  you 
to  say?" 

"  Nothing,"  she  replied.  "  I  only  exchange 
confidences  for  confidences.  Tell  me  whom  you 
suspect,  and  I  will  tell  you  whom  I  know." 

"  What  you  ask  is  impossible,"  he  replied,  feel- 
ing that  he  could  never  wound  her  by  admitting 
his  suspicions  of  her  husband. 

"  So  be  it,"  she  said  gaily,  giving  him  her  hand, 
and  added,  "  Come  and  see  me  again  when  you 
can  spare  a  little  time  from  your  detective  work." 

The  Secretary  saw  she  was  laughing  at  him,  and 
took  his  leave  discomfited.  Madame  Darcy 
watched  him  go,  and  sighed  gently  as  she  turned 
to  re-enter  the  house.  She  also  had  felt  that  she 
would  not  have  dared  to  wound  him  by  mention- 
ing her  suspicions. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

THE  SERIOUS  SIDE  OF  MISS  FITZGERALD'S 
NATURE 

IT  may  have  been  contrition  for  her  short- 
comings which  induced  Miss  Fitzgerald  to  offer 
her  services  to  the  Reverend  Reginald  Lambert 
to  assist  in  decorating  the  altar  of  the  little  church 
for  the  ensuing  Sunday,  and  it  may  not.  At  any 
rate,  she  did  offer  them,  and  they  were  gratefully 
accepted. 

She  was  dressed  in  a  garb  which  would  have 
befitted  a  postulant  for  a  religious  order,  and  her 
sweet  seriousness,  and  altogether  becoming  de- 
meanour, charmed  the  Reverend  Reginald. 

The  old  parson  was,  it  is  needless  to  say,  a 
thorough  nonentity,  and  the  skilful  attentions  of 
his  fair  assistant  were  the  more  appreciated,  be- 
cause the  more  rare. 

"  It's  very  kind  of  you,  my  dear,"  he  said,  "  to 
give  so  much  of  your  time  to  helping  an  old 
man." 

"  I'm  afraid  I  don't  give  up  half  enough.  I 
think  we  should  give  ourselves  to  the  serious  side 
of  life  at  least  for  a  little  while  every  week,  don't 
you  ?  We  are  so  apt  to  devote  ourselves  to  frivol- 
ities." 

Hi 


142  Parlous  Times 

"  I'm  very  glad  to  hear  you  say  that.  Young 
people  are  none  too  serious  nowadays ;  but  I'm 
sure  you're  too  strong  a  nature  to  be  wholly 
frivolous." 

"  I'm  afraid  not,  but  I  often  do  things  I  don't 
care  for,  to  keep  myself  from  thinking.  My  life 
hasn't  been  all  a  bed  of  roses,  Mr.  Lambert." 

"  You  surprise  me,"  he  said,  sitting  down  in  the 
front  pew  to  get  a  better  view  of  their  united 
arrangement  of  potted  plants.  "That's  very 
pretty,  my  dear.  Now  come  and  sit  by  me,  and 
tell  me  all  about  it,  and  if  an  old  man's  ad- 
vice  " 

"Oh,  I  do  so  want  advice,"  she  said.  "You 
can't  realise  what  the  life  I  lead  means  to  a  girl — 
my  parents  are  both  dead,  you  know." 

"  Yes,  poor  child.  I  remember ;  Mrs.  Roberts 
told  me.  How  sad  !  " 

"  I've  no  settled  home — I  knock  about.  I  try 
my  best,  I  do  indeed,  Mr.  Lambert ;  but  with  no 
one  to  advise  me — no  older  woman  than  myself 
who  really  cares — it  is  at  times  very  hard." 

"  But  you've  relatives — Mrs.  Roberts." 

"  Yes,  of  course,  they're  very  kind,  and  all  that ; 
but  a  young  girl  needs  far  more  than  what  she 
could  ask  of  a  remote  relative.  She  needs  watch- 
ful care,  constant  protection.  You've  had  a 
daughter,  Mr.  Lambert." 

"  Yes,  yes,  I  know.  My  dear  Mary  was  a  model 
girl,  Miss  Fitzgerald ;  a  good  child  is  a  great 
blessing.  I  see  your  position." 

"  I'm  sure  you  do.     Try  as  one  may,  a  young 


Serious  Side  of  Miss  Fitzgerald     143 

girl  has  not  that  experience  which  comes  with  age, 
her  best  efforts  are  sometimes  misinterpreted — 
I've  suffered  keenly  myself." 

"  My  poor  child,"  said  the  old  rector,  patting 
her  hand  in  a  fatherly  manner.  "  My  poor  child ! 
You  yourself  see  the  need  of  a  guiding  hand." 

"  I  do,  I  do.  Having  no  one  to  fight  life's 
battle  for  me,  I've  become  of  necessity  self- 
reliant." 

"  Of  course,  of  course." 

"  It  has  been  misinterpreted,  misunder- 
stood. I've  been  called — hard  ;  worse — I've 
been  thought "  Her  voice  broke. 

"My  dear  child,"  said  the  old  man,  "you'll 
forgive  my  speaking  plainly,  but  you  should  be 
married.  You  need  a  husband.  Someone  who 
will  take  the  responsibility  from  you." 

Miss  Fitzgerald  breathed  a  contented  little  sigh, 
and  her  bowed  head  leaned,  oh,  so  lightly,  against 
his  shoulder ! 

"  I  hoped  you  would  say  that,"  she  murmured. 

"  Is  there  someone — then — someone  you  love  ? 
You  rejoice  me  exceedingly." 

Resuming  a  more  erect  posture,  she  said  ear- 
nestly: 

"  Tell  me,  Mr.  Lambert,  would  you  ever  consent 
to  perform  a  marriage — quietly — very  quietly — 
say,  with  the  knowledge  of  only  the  contracting 
parties  and  witnesses  ?  " 

"  If  there  were  good  and  sufficient  reasons.  Of 
course,  if  the  young  lady's  parents  were  living,  I 
should  wish  to  be  assured  of  their  consent  first." 


144  Parlous  Times 

"  Oh ! "  murmured  Miss  Fitzgerald. 

"  But,  in  your  own  case,  if  you  really  wished  it, 
though  it  seems  unnecessary,  I  could  make  some 
such  arrangement  as  you  suggest,  because  no  one 
would  be  affected  but  yourself,  though  if  a  large 
estate  or  title  was  involved  it  would  be  a  very 
different  matter." 

His  companion  thought  long  and  deeply  ;  then, 
looking  up  at  him,  she  said : 

"  Would  you,  would  you,  dear  Mr.  Lambert, 
accept  my  word  for  it  that  silence  is  necessary  ?  " 

"  I — yes.     I  suppose  so.     But,  Mrs.  Roberts?  " 

"  I  can  assure  you  that  Mrs.  Roberts  approves 

of  my  marrying ;  but "  and  she  laid  her  finger 

on  her  lips. 

"  Well,  as  you  please ;  but  remember  the 
responsibility  rests  with  you ;  then  there  would 
have  to  be  witnesses." 

"  I  could  promise  that  Lady  Isabelle  McLane 
would  be  present,  and  the  best  man  would  be  the 
other." 

"  Quite  so — but — when  would  you  wish  the 
ceremony  to  take  place  ?  " 

"  Say  Sunday." 

"  But,  my  dear  young  lady — there  are  the  fif- 
teen days  required  by  law — unless,  of  course,  you 
have  a  special  licence." 

"  Perhaps  there  is  a  special  licence." 

"  Of  course  in  that  case  everything  is  easy — but 
do  nothing  rash.  Marriage  is  a  most  solemn  cove- 
nant, and  I  should  strongly  advise  that  you  speak 
to  Mrs.  Roberts.  Indeed,  I  hardly  know  if  I " 


Serious  Side  of  Miss  Fitzgerald     145 

"  I  have  your  word,  Mr.  Lambert.  I'll  come  to 
you  to-morrow,  may  I  ?  and  you'll  talk  to  me 
earnestly,  very  earnestly,  about  it  all.  It  will  be 
decided  then — and  if  I  should  wish  it  before  early 
service  Sunday  morning,  you  would  help  me,  I 
know.  But  remember,  it's  a  secret,  and  oh,  you're 
so  kind  !  "  And  taking  his  hand,  she  kissed  it. 

"  But,  my  dear,"  stammered  the  old  man,  quite 
flustered  by  this  unexpected  mark  of  affection, 
"  you  haven't  even  told  me  the  gentleman's  name." 

Bending  over,  she  whispered  softly,  "  Lieuten- 
ant Kingsland,"  and  fled  out  of  the  church. 


In  the  light  of  the  events  of  the  morning,  Miss 
Fitzgerald  was  naturally  desirous  of  becoming 
better  acquainted  with  the  appearance  of  a  special 
licence,  and  in  the  seclusion  of  the  billiard-room, 
Lieutenant  Kingsland  was  able  to  gratify  her 
curiosity. 

"Quite  an  expensive  luxury,  I've  been  given 
to  understand,"  she  said  reflectively,  regarding  the 
parchment. 

"Yes,"  admitted  Kingsland  regretfully,  "it 
means  a  special  messenger  to  the  Archbishop, 
wherever  he  may  happen  to  be.  He  never's  by 
any  chance  at  '  Lambeth  '  when  you  want  him, 
and  fees  all  along  the  line." 

"  A  matter  of  forty  pounds,  I've  been  told." 

"Well,  call  it  thirty.     I  know  the  crowd." 

"  I   shouldn't   have   suspected    you    of    being 

ecclesiastical." 
10 


146  Parlous  Times 

"  It's  a  long  story,  and  not  to  the  point.  Now, 
what  have  you  done  ?  " 

"  Considering  that  you  were  thoughtful  enough 
to  procure  that  licence,  I've  done  everything." 

"  Bravo  !     When  can  the  ceremony  take  place  ?  " 

"  Before  early  service  Sunday  morning,  say  a 
quarter  to  eight." 

"  The  sooner  the  better.  I'm  a  thousand  times 
obliged.  You're  a  little  brick,  and  I  shall  never 
forget  it." 

"  I  shall  ask  for  a  return  some  day,"  she  said. 

"  And  you  shall  have  it,  no  matter  what.  Is 
there  nothing  more  ?  " 

"  Only  this.  You  know  Mr.  Lambert  is  some- 
what aged,  very  blind — don't  forget  that — and  a 
trifle  deaf ;  so,  though  I  assure  you  I  never  said 
so,  I'm  quite  sure  he  is  under  the  impression  that 
you're  going  to  marry — me." 

"  But  I  don't  understand." 

"  Mr.  Lambert  informed  me  that  in  the  case  of 
a  person  of  importance,  or  one  whose  parents 
were  living,  he  couldn't  perform  the  ceremony 
privately — that  is,  as  privately  as  you  would  wish  ; 
but  as  regarded  myself,  an  orphan — you  see  ?  " 

"But  the  name?" 

"Are  we  not  both  Isabelles?  Besides,  he  is 
old,  and  deaf,  and  nearly  blind,  and  the  bride  and 
I  will  both  be  closely  veiled,  under  the  circum- 
stances. If  we  should  appear  to  have  signed  our 
names  in  the  wrong  places  in  the  registry — why, 
it's  a  stupid  blunder  that  any  one  might  make  on 
such  a  trying  occasion." 


Serious  Side  of  Miss  Fitzgerald     147 

"  But  how  account  for  Lady  Isabella's  pres- 
ence?" 

"  He  asked  me  concerning  the  witnesses,  and  I 
promised  that  her  Ladyship  would  be  there.  As 
for  the  other?" 

"  My  best  man  will  serve." 

"Who  is  he?" 

Kingsland  laughed. 

"  Wait  and  see,"  he  said.  "  He's  an  old  friend 
of  yours.  Anything  else  ?  " 

"Yes,  two  things.  Keep  a  still  tongue  in 
your  head,  and  have  the  bride  there  to  the 
minute." 

"  I  promise.  Belle,  you're  the  best  friend  a 
man  ever  had." 

"  Not  at  all.  I'm  only  doing  you  a  service — 
for  a  service  in  return." 

"  What  is  that  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  I'm  sure ;  but  any  woman  who 
lives  the  life  I  do  is  sure,  some  day,  to  want  a 
friend  who  is  sufficiently  in  her  debt — to — well, 
do  anything  that  may  be  needful.  You  under- 
stand?" 

"  Done !  "  he  cried,  and  wrung  her  hand. 

"  Oh,  by  the  way,"  she  added,  "  I've  given  the 
Marchioness  her  tip,  and  I  don't  imagine  Jimsy's 
life  will  be  worth  living  in  consequence." 

"  Couldn't  you  help  to  make  it  a  little  more 
bearable — for  instance?"  insinuated  the  Lieu- 
tenant. 

"  It  takes  two  to  make  a  bargain  of  that  sort," 
she  returned. 


148  Parlous  Times 

"  All  right,"  he  said,  laughing.  "  I'll  see  that 
Little  Diplomacy  gets  a  steer  in  your  direction," 
and  he  started  to  leave  the  room. 

"  No ;  I  forbid  you  to  do  anything  of  the  sort," 
she  called  after  him. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE  SERIOUS   SIDE  OF  THE  SECRETARY'S 
NATURE 

IN  virtue  of  his  good  resolution  to  point  out  to 
Miss  Fitzgerald  the  error  of  her  ways,  the  Secre- 
tary had  been  nerving  himself  to  an  interview  with 
her  on  this  delicate  question,  and  as  result,  when 
he  found  himself  alone  with  Lieutenant  Kingsland 
in  the  smoking-room  after  dinner  that  evening, 
both  were  silent.  Each  had  something  to  think 
about,  yet  each  was  thinking  about  the  same  thing. 
The  Secretary  abstractedly  wondering  how  he  was 
to  commence  the  awkward  interview  which  was 
staring  him  in  the  face  ;  while  the  young  officer, 
relying  on  the  axiom  that  "  a  woman  never  says 
what  she  means,"  was  pondering  over  the  best  way 
in  which  to  go  to  work  upon  his  companion,  in 
order  to  induce  him  to  open  his  heart  to  the  lady 
in  question. 

"  I  say,  Stanley,"  he  remarked,  "  do  you  know 
Bob  Darcy  ?  " 

"  Darcy  ?     No,  I  don't  think  so." 

"  Why,  he's  the  chap  whose  wife  chaperoned 
your  little  dinner  that  night  at  the  Hyde  Park 
Club,  when  Lady  Rainsford  failed  you." 

"  No,  I  don't  know  him.     Do  you  ?  " 

149 


I5o  Parlous  Times 

"  I — oh,  very  slightly — I  assure  you — never  ex- 
changed more  than  half  a  dozen  words  with  him 
in  my  life." 

"  I  thought  you  seemed  pretty  well  acquainted 
at  Lady  Rainsford's  tea." 

"  I  "—  faltered  the  young  man — "  I  think  you're 
mistaken." 

Stanley  smiled  quietly,  as  the  nature  of  the  con- 
versation he  had  overheard  came  back  to  his  mind 
— he  was  getting  on. 

"  I'm  afraid,"  he  remarked,  "  that  your  friend 
doesn't  attract  me.  What  did  you  wish  to  say 
about  him  ?  " 

"  Only  that  he's  awfully  gone  on  Belle  Fitz- 
gerald, means  business,  and  all  that — lucky  dog — 
I  think  he'll  win  hands  down,"  and  Lieutenant 
Kingsland  heaved  a  sigh. 

"  But  he's  married,  surely  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  believe  he  is — but  it  hasn't  been 
an  unqualified  success.  I  understand  there's  a 
divorce  in  the  air,  and  after  that — of  course — 

"  He's  treated  his  wife  like  a  brute  !  "  spluttered 
Stanley. 

"  Don't  know,  I'm  sure.  He's  a  jolly  good 
fellow  at  the  club.  Any  way,  he'd  put  a  job  with 
Belle  to  do  the  platonic  under  Mrs.  Roberts'  pro- 
tecting roof  for  a  week  or  two,  when  what  does  our 
hostess  do  but  cut  up  rusty  about  his  marital  in- 
felicities, and  refuse  to  invite  him.  Rather  a  sell 
on  the  little  Fitzgerald,  eh  ?" 

"  I'll  be  obliged  to  you  if  you'll  mention  Miss 
Fitzgerald  more  respectfully  in  my  presence. 


Serious  Side  of  the  Secretary      151 

She's  a  lady  for  whom  I  have  the  highest  con- 
sideration, and  who  would,  I'm  sure,  if  she  knew 
what  I  know  of  Colonel  Darcy,  cut  him  off  from  her 
list  of  acquaintances  immediately.  I  hope  you'll 
not  feel  called  upon  to  speak  of  this  more  than  is 
necessary,''  and  he  rose  stiffly  and  left  the  room. 

Kingsland  rolled  over  on  the  divan,  on  which  he 
was  sprawled  out,  and  indulged  in  a  fit  of  hearty 
laughter. 

"  Gad !  how  he  rose  to  the  bait ! "  he  roared. 
"  I  supposed  Darcy  was  too  old  a  story  to  tempt 
anyone  with  ;  but  the  world's  after  all  a  very  small 
place."  And  this,  curiously  enough,  was  precisely 
the  reflection  which  the  Secretary  made  ruefully  to 
himself,  as  he  sought  the  captivating  Belle. 

As  can  be  understood  in  the  light  of  that  inter- 
view in  the  smoking-room,  the  two  gentlemen 
were  late  in  arriving  upstairs,  and  when  Stanley 
did  put  in  an  appearance,  Miss  Fitzgerald  required 
all  her  courage  to  dare  to  claim  him  as  her  ex- 
clusive property  and  carry  him  off  to  the  compar- 
ative seclusion  of  the  conservatory,  for  black  care 
sat  heavy  on  his  brow,  and  her  interview  promised 
to  be  anything  but  agreeable.  However,  she  was 
nothing  if  not  courageous,  and  opened  the  attack 
at  once,  on  the  ground  that  the  defensive  is  always 
the  weakest  position. 

"  What  an  old  bear  you  are  to-night,  Jimsy.  I 
couldn't  get  a  word  out  of  you  at  dinner,  and  now 
you  look  as  glum  as  if  you'd  lost  your  last  friend." 

"  I've  been  talking  to  Lieutenant  Kingsland,' 
he  said  bluntly. 


i$2  Parlous  Times 

"  Dear  me,  if  it  always  has  as  bad  an  effect  I 
must  contrive  to  keep  you  two  apart  in  the  future." 

"  He's  been  telling  me  about  your  relations  with 
Darcy.  Confound  it,  Belle  ! — it's  too  bad  of  you  ! 
Why,  he's  a  beastly  cad.  I  wouldn't  have  him  in 
my  house,  and  to  think  that  the  woman  I — well, 
any  woman  I  respect  as  much  as  I  do  you — should 
be  on  intimate  terms  with  a  man  like  that,  makes 
my  blood  boil.  Great  Heavens,  have  some  con- 
sideration for  your  friends,  if  you  haven't  for 
yourself !  Think  of  what  will  be  said  of  you ; 
think " 

"  Don't  do  the  heroic,  Jimsy,  it  doesn't  become 
you,"  she  interrupted.  "  Give  me  a  cigarette,  and 
see  if  you  can't  talk  this  matter  over  without  go- 
ing all  to  tatters." 

"  You  smoke  too  much.  I  don't  approve  of 
ladies  smoking.  It  seems  so  common." 

"  Nonsense.  It's  uncommon  not  to.  I'm  dy- 
ing for  a  whiff,  and  one  never  gets  a  chance  in 
that  crowd  of  old  fogies.  Thank  you — now  what's 
all  this  disturbance  about  Colonel  Darcy  ?  I  de- 
clare, I  almost  believe  you  are  becoming  an  old 
fogy  yourself." 

"  I  didn't  even  know  you  knew  him — Darcy,  I 
mean — I  object  to  him  strongly." 

"  Really,  Mr.  Stanley,  I  don't  run  my  acquaint- 
ances on  the  lines  of  your  choosing." 

"  Of  course  not ;  but  I  may  claim  the  privilege 
of  a  friend." 

"  To  make  yourself  uncommonly  disagreeable  ; 
I  suppose  you  may — and  I  was  feeling  so  amiable 


Serious  Side  of  the  Secretary      153 

too — just  in  the  mood  for  an  old-time  chat.  But 
it  can't  be  helped.  Colonel  Darcy's  an  old  friend, 
and  was  very  kind  to  me  at  a  time  when  I  needed 
friends  and  hadn't  many.  I  don't  know  what  he 
has  done  or  not  done,  and  I  don't  care.  I  learned 
that  he  was  to  be  in  this  neighbourhood  shortly 
on  business,  and,  wishing  to  make  some  return  for 
his  past  kindness,  I  proposed  to  my  aunt  to  invite 
him  here,  and  she,  who's  a  woman  after  your  own 
heart,  refused — because,  forsooth,  he  didn't  get  on 
well  with  his  wife — as  if  his  wife  mattered  to  me — 
I  certainly  didn't  want  to  invite  her." 

"  I  assure  you,"  burst  out  the  Secretary,  "  that 
she's  a  most  charming  woman,  and  that  her  hus- 
band has  treated  her  like  the  cad  and  brute  he  is." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Mr.  Stanley.  I  didn't 
know  you  were  posing  as  the  knight-errant  of 
hysterical  wives." 

"  I'm  not ;  but  I  can't  stand  by  and  see  a  lovely 
and  innocent  woman  injured." 

"  I  presume  I'm  not  to  defend  my  friend? "she 
asked,  her  small  foot  tapping  the  tiled  floor  in 
anger. 

"You  would  not  wish  to  do  so  if  you  knew  his 
true  character." 

"  I  do  not  wish  to  prolong  this  interview,  Mr. 
Stanley.  I  must  remind  you  that  there  are  limits 
even  to  the  rights  of  friendship,  and  you  have 
overstepped  them." 

"  I  fear  I've  forgotten  myself,  that  I've  been 
too  vehement.  I  humbly  beg  your  pardon.  I 
won't  trespass  again,  believe  me.  I  only  spoke  for 


i54  Parlous  Times 

your  good — indeed,  I  wanted  to  have  a  serious  talk 
with  you  about  yourself ;  but  the  spirit  in  which 
you  receive  my  suggestions  makes  it  impossible." 

"You  mustn't  say  that,"  she  replied,  more 
quietly  than  she  had  hitherto  spoken.  "  But  you 
can  surely  understand  that  my  friendship  would 
be  of  little  use  to  any  man  if  I  stood  quietly  by 
and  let  him  be  denounced  without  a  word  of 
resentment  on  my  part.  Are  there  other  of  my 
friends  of  whom  you  do  not  approve?  " 

"  It's  partly  that,  but  rather  the — you'll  pardon 
me — the  things  that  are  said  about  you,  Belle. 
People — my  friends — men  as  well  as  women — 
have  said  things  in  my  presence — that  I  did  not 
like  to  hear.  Things  that  show  how  easy  it  is  for 
a  careless,  easy-going  nature  like  yours  to  be  mis- 
interpreted ;  in  short " 

"In  short,  they  told  you  I  was  fast,  I  suppose, 
a  sordid,  scheming,  money-making  wretch.  Is 
that  correct  ?  " 

"  Really,  Belle  ! " 

"  Is  that  correct  ?     Answer  me." 

"  Well,  they  certainly  wouldn't  have  used  such 
words  in  my  presence." 

"  But  they  meant  that — or  something  like  it  ?" 

"  I'm  afraid  they  did." 

Her  face,  white  enough  before,  flushed  red,  as 
she  demanded  : 

"  And  you  !     What  did  you  say  ?  '' 

"  I — I  don't  remember — I  refused  to  listen  ; 
but  I  made  up  my  mind  to  speak  to  you — I 
thought  you  ought  to  know." 


Serious  Side  of  the  Secretary      155 

"  You  " —  she  cried,  turning  on  him  in  a  fury — 
"  you,  my  friend,  as  you  call  yourself,  had  no 
answer  to  make,  did  nothing,  except  to  decide  to 
lecture  me  about  what  you  should  have  known  to 
be  a  lie !  Let  me  tell  you,  Mr.  Stanley,  you'd 
have  done  better  to  defend  me — knowing,  as  you 
must  know,  the  slights,  the  buffets,  the  insults 
I've  had  to  endure,  because  I'm  unprotected,  and 
men  can  dare " 

"  I  assure  you  I  did.  I  didn't  believe  it  of  you 
for  an  instant." 

"  You  believed  it  enough  to  question  me  as  to 
the  truth  of  these  accusations.  It's  easy  to  preach 
prudence  when  yon've  nothing  to  gain  or  lose ; 
but  were  you  a  woman,  thrown  on  the  world  and 
on  her  own  resources,  you'd  find  it  a  different, 
a  very  different,  thing,  and  you'd  expect  help  and 
encouragement  from  friends  who  are  stronger  and 
more  fortunate  than  you — not  this ! "  and  she 
burst  into  tears. 

"  Miss  Fitzgerald  ! — Belle  !  "  he  cried,  striving 
to  take  her  hand,  "  I  wouldn't  have  pained  you 
in  this  way  for  worlds  !  Believe  me,  I'm  your 
friend,  your  true  friend  !  " 

"  I've  friends  enough  of  your  sort,"  she  sobbed, 
"  too  many." 

"  But  at  least  let  me  explain." 

"  Don't  say  any  more,  please — you've  said 
enough.  Good-night,  you  must  excuse  me.  I — 
I'm  not  myself,"  and  touching  her  handkerchief 
to  her  eyes,  with  a  great  effort  she  controlled 
herself  and  left  the  conservatory. 


CHAPTER  XV 
THE  SECRETARY'S  INTENTIONS 

ROBERTS'  HALL  preserved  the  good  old  English 
custom  concerning  breakfast — which  means  that  a 
rambling  meal  extended  from  eight  to  eleven  in 
the  morning — at  which  the  butler  served  you  with 
tea,  or  coffee  and  rolls,  and  you  served  yourself  to 
the  rest,  from  the  cold  cuts  on  the  sideboard  to 
the  hot  viands  in  copper  vessels  warmed  by  alco- 
hol lamps.  The  cold  cuts  you  had  always  with 
you,  also  the  orange  marmalade ;  as  for  the  eggs 
and  bacon,  devilled  kidneys,  etc.,  their  state  was 
dependent  on  the  taste  of  the  guests  who  had  pre- 
ceded you,  and  your  own  ability  as  an  early  riser. 
You  came  down  when  you  pleased,  and  ate  your 
meal  in  solitary  state  or  in  any  company  that  might 
happen  to  be  present,  which,  if  it  proved  to  be 
congenial,  made  a  very  jolly,  informal  repast,  and 
if  it  didn't, — well,  that  was  fate,  and  you  had  to 
submit  to  it.  Fate  may  be  kind  or  it  may  not, 
sometimes  it  sets  out  to  play  ponderous  practical 
jokes,  which  may  include  something  nearly  akin 
to  a  grim  reality  in  the  future  for  the  persons 
involved. 

This  was  probably  the  reason  why  Stanley,  on 
his  advent  into  the  breakfast-room,  found  it  ten- 


The  Secretary's  Intentions         157 

anted  by  only  one  person,  and  that  one,  Lady 
Isabelle. 

At  the  sight  of  her,  the  Secretary  felt  decidedly 
sheepish,  because  Miss  Fitzgerald's  tears  and  some 
subsequent  hours  of  sleepless  meditation  thereon 
had  convinced  him  that  he  was  morally,  if  not  act- 
ually, capable  of  all  the  weakness  for  which  her 
Ladyship  had  upbraided  him.  He  told  himself 
that  he  owed  a  duty  to  the  fair  Belle,  that  he 
mnst  save  her  from  herself  at  all  costs,  even  if  it 
involved  the  sacrifice  of  his  own  future,  that  he 
had  misjudged  her  cruelly,  and  that  he  was  very, 
very  sorry  for  her,  and  that,  because  he  was  con- 
science-stricken, he  was  certainly  in  love.  Indeed 
he  kept  assuring  himself  with  feverish  insistence, 
that  this  must  be  the  real  article. 

To  Lady  Isabelle,  on  the  contrary,  Stanley's  de- 
ficiencies were  almost  lost  sight  of,  in  view  of  the 
disturbing  suspicion  that  that  young  gentleman 
might  be  led  to  suppose  that  her  well-meant  inter- 
ference in  his  affairs  had  proceeded  from  an  undue 
regard  for  himself.  A  suspicion  but  a  few  hours 
old,  and  dating  from  an  interview  with  the  Mar- 
chioness, who,  for  some  unknown  reason,  had  sud- 
denly assumed  a  totally  different  attitude  towards 
the  Secretary,  and  even  tried  to  entrap  her 
daughter  into  admitting  that  his  attentions  might 
mean  something.  This  made  Lady  Isabelle  most 
anxious  to  impress  him  with  the  fact  that  their 
friendship  was  purely  platonic.  Accordingly,  to 
his  intense  surprise,  she  was  exceedingly  gracious, 
and  chatted  away  all  through  breakfast  in  a  charm- 


158  Parlous  Times 

ingly  easy,  if  somewhat  feverish,  manner,  even 
condescending  so  far  as  to  say  something  pleasant 
about  Miss  Fitzgerald.  Under  this  treatment 
Stanley  simply  glowed,  and  opened  out  as  much 
as  he  dared  in  the  presence  of  the  butler  and  two 
expressionless  footmen,  upon  that  lady's  charms. 
He  was  a  very  young  diplomat,  as  the  reader  will 
have  noticed  ere  this,  or  he  would  not  have  con- 
tinued to  praise  one  lady  to  another ;  least  of  all 
at  breakfast  time,  an  hour  when  the  temper  of 
mortals  is  by  no  means  certain.  But  in  the 
pleasure  of  his  subject  he  did  not  notice  the 
scorn  that  was  suggested  by  the  curl  of  his  vis- 
a-vis'  lip. 

"  I  do  wish,"  he  said  in  conclusion,  "that you'd 
take  a  stroll  with  me  this  afternoon  ;  the  deer  park 
is  quite  worth  seeing,  I  understand,  and  besides 
there  are  lots  of  things  I  want  to  talk  to  you 
about." 

It  was  during  this  proposition  that  Lieutenant 
Kingsland,  preceded  by  the  Dowager,  entered  the 
breakfast-room. 

"  Oh,  I  say,"  blurted  out  that  officer,  "  I  think 
we've  got  an  appointment  after  lunch,  haven't 
we?" 

"  I  think  not,  Lieutenant  Kingsland,"  replied 
Lady  Isabelle,  foreseeing  the  crisis,  and  realising 
the  necessity  of  immediate  action.  Then  turning 
to  Stanley,  she  added  : — 

"  Thanks,  I  should  enjoy  a  good  walk  hugely, 
and  I  love  deer.  It  was  very  kind  of  you  to  sug- 
gest it.  What  time  shall  we  start  ?  " 


The  Secretary's  Intentions         159 

"Say  three  o'clock,"  said  the  Secretary,  im- 
mensely rejoiced  at  his  restoration  to  favour. 

"  Three,  let  it  be  then,  if  mamma  approves." 

It  was  only  too  evident  that  mamma  did  ap- 
prove ;  she  nodded  and  smiled,  and  said  that  ex- 
cercise  was  a  spendid  thing  for  young  people  ;  till 
Stanley  became  frightened  at  her  excessive  genial- 
ity, and  Kingsland  looked  black  as  a  thunder-cloud. 

The  Lieutenant  was  not,  however,  so  easily  baf- 
fled, and  jumped  to  the  conclusion  that  half  of  Lady 
Isabelle  was  better  than  no  Lady  Isabelle  at  all. 

"  Three's  not  company,  I  know,"  he  said,  laugh- 
ing with  attempted  gaiety,  "  but  I'm  no  end  fond 
of  deer  myself." 

"  I  was  about  to  ask  you,  Lieutenant  Kings- 
land,"  interrupted  the  Dowager,  coming  promptly 
to  the  rescue,  "  to  execute  a  few  commissions  for 
me  this  afternoon,  at  Tunbridge  Wells.  I'm  sure 
our  hostess  will  put  a  dog-cart  at  your  service,  and 
it's  not  above  fifteen  miles." 

"  Charmed,  I'm  sure,"  replied  the  Lieutenant — 
but  he  did  not  look  it.  However,  he  had  his  re- 
ward, for  Lady  Isabelle  had  just  finished  her 
breakfast,  and  Kingsland  declared  he  had  already 
had  his,  which  was  not  true,  so  they  disappeared 
together  and  left  the  Dowager  to  enjoy  her  repast 
in  the  company  of  the  Secretary,  to  whom  she  was 
so  extremely  affable,  that,  had  it  not  been  for  his 
instructions,  he  would  have  had  serious  thoughts 
of  leaving  for  London,  before  he  was  appropriated 
body  and  soul. 


160  Parlous  Times 

"What  have  you  been  telling  my  mother  about 
Mr.  Stanley?"  asked  Lady  Isabelle  of  the  Lieu- 
tenant, in  the  seclusion  of  the  library.  "  I  know 
you  had  a  long  conference  with  her  last  night — 
and  something  must  have  happened." 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know,  unless  it  was  that  he's 
a  millionaire,  and  made  his  money,  or  had  it  made 
for  him,  in  some  beastly  commercial  way — sugar, 
I  think." 

Lady  Isabelle  gave  him  one  look,  and  remarked 
with  a  depth  of  scorn  which  even  the  unfortunate 
Secretary  had  not  evoked : — 

"  Oh,  you  idiot !  " 

Kingsland  was  immersed  in  literature  the  entire 
morning  in  company  with  Lady  Isabelle,  who 
doubtless  found  the  Lieutenant's  companionship  a 
great  comfort,  under  the  circumstances,  since  now 
that  she  knew  the  reason  of  her  mother's  attitude 
towards  the  Secretary,  she  was  as  anxious  to  avoid 
the  walk  with  him,  as  she  had  previously  been 
willing  to  take  it. 

Kingsland,  however,  bore  up  bravely,  for  his  trip 
to  the  Wells  gave  him  an  opportunity  to  settle 
several  little  matters  of  business,  which  the  Dow- 
ager, had  she  known  of  them,  would  hardly  have 
approved.  Moreover,  Belle  saw  him  off,  saying  as 
he  mounted  the  dog-cart  :— 

"  Don't  be  upset  by  Lady  Isabelle's  defection 
this  afternoon,  Jack ;  the  most  trustworthy  little 
mare  will  sometimes  jib,  just  before  taking  a  des- 
perate leap." 


The  Secretary's  Intentions         161 

When  two  people  start  out  on  a  long  walk  to- 
gether, each  with  the  firm  intention  of  doing  his 
duty  by  the  other,  the  result  is  apt  to  be  far  from 
pleasant ;  but  in  this  case  both  had  so  much  to 
talk  about  that  for  the  first  hour  of  their  walk  they 
said  nothing,  and  their  arrival  at  the  deer-park  was 
a  distinct  relief,  since  it  furnished  a  new  and  harm- 
less subject  for  discussion.  And,  indeed,  the 
pretty  animals  warranted  more  than  a  passing 
word.  They  were  seen  in  numbers,  peeping  out 
of  a  fringe  of  woodland  across  the  width  of  an 
uncultivated  field,  and  they  were  in  that  delight- 
ful state  of  semi-tameness,  when  a  longing  for  the 
bits  of  bread,  with  which  Stanley  and  Lady  Isa- 
belle  were  well  supplied,  battled  equally  with  an 
impulse,  born  of  natural  training,  to  flee  the  prox- 
imity of  the  human  race. 

But  there  was  not  much  going  in  the  line  of 
food,  and  so  gradually,  step  by  step,  the  most 
daring  of  the  herd  ventured  into  the  open,  and 
slowly  approached  the  visitors,  who  were  wise 
enough  to  throw  tempting  bits  about  twelve  feet 
away  from  them.  Watchful  to  note  the  slightest 
movement  of  a  muscle,  the  bread  was  at  length 
secured,  and  the  herd  scampered  away  in  a  panic 
of  fear,  only  to  return  for  more,  thrown  nearer  the 
feet  of  their  friends.  So  it  was  at  last,  with  ad- 
vances of  six  feet  and  retreats  of  as  many  yards, 
at  the  crackling  of  a  bush  or  a  change  in  the  wind, 
that  the  most  adventurous  consented,  standing  as 
far  aloof  as  possible,  and  stretching  their  necks  to 
ii 


162  Parlous  Times 

the  last  degree  of  tension,  to  take  the  bread  from 
the  visitors'  hands. 

But  finally  even  the  charms  of  the  deer  were 
exhausted,  and  as  they  turned  about  and  began 
slowly  to  stroll  homeward  across  the  park,  Lady 
Isabelle  abruptly  broached  the  subject  which  both 
of  them  had  nearest  at  heart. 

"  I'm  afraid,"  she  began,  "  that  I'm  very  prone 
to  order  the  lives  of  my  friends,  from  my  own 
point  of  view." 

"My  life,  for  instance?"  he  asked. 

"  Mr.  Stanley,"  she  said,  "  I  shan't  be  really 
happy  till  I  have  apologised  for  the  way  I  spoke 
at  Lady  Rainsford's  tea.  I'd  no  right  to  do  so, 
and  I'm  sure  my  judgment  was  hasty  and  ill- 
advised.  I've  been  trusting  to  my  eyes  and  ears 
rather  than  to  the  reports  of  other  people,  and 
I'm  sure  I've  been  mistaken.  Do  you  know  how 
Miss  Fitzgerald  spent  part  of  yesterday  ?  " 

"  I  have  not  seen  her  to  speak  with  to-day." 

"  Then  I'll  tell  you.  She  was  helping  poor  old 
Mr.  Lambert  trim  the  church  for  to-morrow.  I 
think  it  was  very  nice  of  her." 

"  I'm  afraid  your  commendation  has  come  a 
trifle  late.  The  fact  is,  I  took  it  upon  myself  to 
counsel  the  young  lady  in  question  against  a  friend 
of  hers — a  Colonel  Darcy." 

"  Not  Colonel  Robert  Darcy  ?  " 

"  The  same." 

"  Do  you  know  him  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  No,  but  I  know  how  he  treats  his  wife,  and 
his  own  character  is  none  too  good." 


The  Secretary's  Intentions         163 

"  It's  curious,"  she  said,  a  trifle  sadly,  "but  I'm 
in  just  your  position  in  regard  to  a  dear  friend  of 
mine,  and  concerning  the  same  man." 

"  Concerning  Colonel  Darcy  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"And  his  intimacy  with  Lieutenant  Kings- 
land?" 

"  How  did  you  know?  " 

"  '  He  that  hath  eyes  to  see '  "  quoted  the 

Secretary. 

"  They  never  even  knew  each  other  till  a  short 
time  ago,  but  in  the  last  few  weeks  they've  been 
constantly  together.  I  can't  understand  it." 

Mr.  Stanley  thought  he  could,  but  forbore  to 
say  so. 

"  I  don't  know  why  I  distrust  Colonel  Darcy, 
but  I  do,"  she  continued,  "  and  his  sudden  inti- 
macy with  Jack — Lieutenant  Kingsland — makes 
me  apprehensive.  Do  you  think " 

"  I  think  your  friend  is  of  too  pliable  a  nature 
to  be  in  the  hands  of  so  unscrupulous  a  rascal." 

She  sighed,  and  then  feeling  perhaps  that  she 
had  said  too  much,  hastened  to  revert  to  their 
original  subject,  saying : 

"  Don't  tell  me  there's  a  misunderstanding  be- 
tween you  and  Miss  Fitzgerald.  I'm  so  sorry.  I 
wouldn't  for  the  world — that  is,  I  almost  feel  as  if 
I'd  been  to  blame." 

"  You're  not  the  only  one  of  my  friends  who 
has  misjudged  her — I've  done  so  myself — utterly." 

"  But  surely  this  little  difference  will  not  be 
lasting — I  hoped " 


164  Parlous  Times 

"  Would  you  wish  me  to  marry  Miss  Fitzger- 
ald, Lady  Isabelle?" 

"  Well,  perhaps  I  won't  say  that — but  I  should 
certainly  not  wish  anything  I  might  have  said  to 
prevent  you  from  so  doing.  Of  course,  my  only 
reason  for  interfering  was  prompted  by  a  wish  for 
your  happiness." 

"  Do  you  think  you  understand  what  that  com- 
prises ?  " 

"  That's  just  the  point  I  wanted  to  make  clear," 
she  said  hastily,  determined  that  he  must  under- 
stand, even  at  the  expense  of  a  slight  indiscretion 
on  her  part,  which  she  felt  would  be  far  preferable 
to  the  slightest  misunderstanding  of  their  relative 
positions,  in  view  of  any  future  action  of  her 
mother's. 

"  You  see,"  she  continued,  "  to  put  it  frankly, 
what  could  I  possibly  know  of  the  requirements 
which,  in  a  woman,  would  go  to  make  you  happy. 
Of  course,  you  and  I  are  friends,  great  friends ; 
but  just  that  state  of  affairs,  as  far  as  we're  con- 
cerned, makes  any  judgment  of  mine  useless 
concerning  the  kind  of  woman  you  could  love." 

Stanley,  who  could  scarcely  help  drawing  his 
own  inferences,  was  piqued  that  she  should  have 
felt  it  necessary  to  batter  a  self-evident  fact  into 
his  brain  in  such  a  bald  manner. 

"  I  wish,"  he  said,  "  that  her  Ladyship,  your 
mother,  was  possessed  of  the  same  lucid  views  on 
kindred  subjects." 

"  Poor  mamma,"  murmured  his  companion, 
"  she's  a  trifle  conventional ;  but,  of  course,  if 


The  Secretary's  Intentions         165 

you're  not  in  sympathy  with  her,  you  can  easily 
avoid  her." 

There,  the  cat  was  out  of  the  bag  at  last,  and 
both  felt  easier  in  consequence.  Stanley  threw 
himself  into  the  breach  at  once,  and  took  the  bur- 
den of  the  conversation. 

"  I'm  sure,"  he  said,  "  I  don't  believe  that  half 
of  the  people  in  the  world  can  tell  for  the  life  of 
them  why  they  fall  in  love  with  a  certain  person 
and  not  with  another.  As  we're  talking  con- 
fidentially, I  don't  mind  telling  you  that  I've  de- 
cided that  I'm  in  love  with  Miss  Fitzgerald,  and 
that  the  best  thing  I  can  do  is  to  tell  her  so  as 
soon  as  possible,  though  I'm  afraid  there  is  little 
chance  of  her  having  me." 

"  I  can  honestly  say,"  rejoined  his  companion, 
"  that,  if  that  is  how  the  case  stands,  I  do  hope 
you'll  be  successful." 

Having  arrived  at  this  amicable  and  highly 
satisfactory  conclusion,  they  realised  that  in  the 
earnestness  of  their  discussion  they  had  not 
noticed  the  lapse  of  time. 

"  Dear  me,  it  must  be  getting  late.  I  trust 
we're  not  far  from  the  Hall,"  said  Lady  Isabelle. 

"  To  tell  you  the  truth,  I  don't  know  just 
where  we  are,"  he  replied. 

They  were  standing  in  a  thick  plantation  at  the 
time,  through  which  meandered  the  little  path 
they  were  following. 

"  There's  rising  ground  ahead,  however,"  he 
continued,  "and,  I  think,  a  clearing." 

This  proved  to  be  the  case,  and  when  they  had 


1 66  Parlous  Times 

gained  the  little  knoll  they  saw,  nearly  in  front  of 
them,  across  a  slight  valley,  bordered  on  either 
side  by  wide  stretches  of  fields  and  pasture-land, 
the  Hall. 

"  It  doesn't  look  to  be  half  a  mile  distant, 
but  I  doubt  the  wisdom  of  trying  a  short 
cut,"  he  said.  "  We'd  much  better  keep  to  our 
path." 

Their  prudence  had  its  own  reward,  for  they 
had  not  been  walking  five  minutes  before  they 
encountered  a  peasant,  who,  with  more  good 
nature  than  brevity,  directed  their  steps  in  a  way 
that  was  too  plainly  not  a  short  cut.  However, 
there  was  nothing  for  it  now  but  to  push  on,  and 
though  they  walked  rapidly,  it  was  a  long  time 
before  they  reached  the  Hall. 

Unkind  fate  prompted  them  on  their  arrival  to 
venture  into  the  drawing-room  in  search  of  a  be- 
lated cup  of  tea,  and,  to  their  dismay,  they  found 
the  apartment,  which  should  have  been  deserted 
at  this  hour,  tenanted  solely  by  the  Dowager,  who 
had  evidently  been  awaiting  their  return. 

She  was  much  too  formally  polite  to  make 
them  feel  at  their  ease,  and  with  a  word  dismissed 
her  daughter,  on  the  plea  of  removing  her  wraps, 
thus  leaving  the  Secretary  to  his  fate. 

Once  they  were  alone,  her  Ladyship  surveyed 
the  young  man  deliberately  through  her  lorgnettes, 
and  when  she  had  made  him  sufficiently  nervous, 
remarked  in  a  chilling  tone  that  she  trusted  her 
daughter  had  caught  no  cold  from  walking  so  late 
in  the  park. 


The  Secretary's  Intentions         167 

The  Secretary  acquiesced,  and  then  the  Mar- 
chioness opened  the  attack  in  earnest. 

"  We — my  daughter — has  had  the  pleasure  of 
seeing  a  great  deal  of  you  lately,  Mr.  Stanley." 

"  Er,  yes,"  he  replied,  scenting  danger.  "  Of 
course  it's  been  a  great  pleasure  to  me." 

"  Still,"  she  continued,  "  it  is  not  usual  for  a 
young  lady,  unchaperoned,  to  walk  in  the  park 
with  a  gentleman  at  this  hour;  a  gentleman  who 
is,  shall  we  say,  a  mere  acquaintance." 

"  The  matter  was  one  of  necessity,"  he  replied 
shortly.  "  We  lost  our  way." 

"  Mrs.  Roberts  has  driven  me  over  her  grounds 
repeatedly,  and  it  appears  to  me  to  be  quite  im- 
possible for  anyone  to  really  lose  his  way." 

"  Deference  to  your  Ladyship's  opinion  pre- 
vents me  from  saying  more." 

"  It  is  certainly  not  pleasant,"  resumed  the 
Dowager,  ignoring  his  last  remark,  "  to  continue 
this  conversation,  and,  were  my  late  husband  liv- 
ing, I  should  naturally  have  left  the  matter  to 
him ;  as  it  is,  my  duty  as  a  mother  and  my  desire 
for  dear  Isabelle's  welfare  bids  me " 

"  Really,  your  Ladyship,  am  I  to  understand 
you  to  imply — 

"  I  can  only  say  that  I  have  heard  your  name 
associated  with  my  daughter's  in  a  manner — that 
was  not — quite  as  I  could  wish.  Dear  Lady  Win- 
tern,  a  woman  most  interested  in  the  good  of  her 
friends,  spoke  to  me  herself,  and  of  course  you,  as 
a  man  of  honour  and  a  gentleman 


1 68  Parlous  Times 

regret  that  anything  in  my  conduct  should  have 
led  to  a  misconception  in  regard  to  my  relations 
with  Lady  Isabelle,  and  in  the  future " 

"  In  the  future,  Mr.  Stanley,  you  will  of  course 
see  little  or  nothing  of  my  daughter — unless ' 

She  paused,  and  for  a  moment  neither  spoke. 
Then  the  Secretary,  who,  whatever  else  may  be 
said  of  him,  was  not  a  coward,  seeing  what  was 
impending,  determined  to  face  the  situation  and 
have  it  over  as  soon  as  possible. 

"Am  I  to  understand,"  he  inquired,  "that 
you're  asking  me  my  intentions?" 

Her  Ladyship  raised  her  eyebrows.  If  the 
French  shoulder  is  expressive,  the  English  eye- 
brow, feminine,  speaks  volumes. 

"You  do  not  make  the  situation  easy  for  me," 
she  replied.  "  Of  course  I  speak  only  for  myself. 
What  my  daughter  may  feel — 

"You  don't  suppose,"  he  exclaimed,  "that 
Lady  Isabelle  really  thinks " 

"  I  know,  Mr.  Stanley,  that  my  daughter  thinks 
nothing  and  does  nothing  that  would  not  be 
proper  in  a  young  lady  of  her  position." 

"  Then  I've  only  to  apologise,"  he  said,  rising, 
"for  what  you  force  me  to  believe  is  my  fault, 
however  unintentional."  And,  bowing  gravely 
to  her,  he  quietly  left  the  room. 


CHAPTER   XVI 

MAN  PROPOSES 

As  he  dressed  for  dinner  that  evening,  Stanley 
was  still  smarting  with  irritation  at  the  undeserved 
attack  which  had  just  been  made  upon  him  by  the 
Marchioness,  and  which  through  no  fault  of  his 
own  placed  him  in  an  exceedingly  unpleasant  and 
awkward  position  towards  her  daughter.  The 
sooner  he  proposed  to  Miss  Fitzgerald,  and  their 
engagement  was  announced,  the  better  for  all 
parties  concerned.  So  seeking  to  justify  himself 
by  force  of  circumstances,  he  threw  prudence  to  the 
winds  and  determined  to  speak  that  very  night. 

If,  however,  his  private  affairs  had  progressed 
rapidly  to  a  crisis,  the  official  interests  which,  he 
assured  himself,  were  the  real  cause  of  his  presence 
here,  had  not  progressed  at  all,  and  he  seemed  no 
nearer  the  solution  of  the  mystery,  and  the  appre- 
hension of  the  conspirators,  than  when  he  arrived. 

True,  Lady  Isabelle's  confession  concerning 
Kingsland  only  served  to  strengthen  his  own  con- 
viction that  the  Lieutenant  was  Darcy's  confed- 
erate ;  but  Darcy  himself,  the  prime  mover  of  the 
plot,  had  not  as  yet  put  in  an  appearance,  and  till 
he  arrived  there  was  nothing  to  be  done  but  to 
watch  and  wait. 

Five  minutes  later  the  Secretary  had  joined  the 

169 


170  Parlous  Times 

party  in  the  drawing-room  just  as  dinner  was 
announced,  and  to  his  utter  consternation  his 
hostess  whispered  to  him  : 

"  I  am  sending  you  down  with  Lady  Isabelle. 
I  hear  you  and  she  are  great  chums." 

"  Great  chums  !  "  Stanley  was  tempted  to  plead 
sudden  indisposition,  and  have  his  dinner  in  his 
room.  Then  a  remembrance  of  his  recent  inter- 
view caused  a  wave  of  adverse  feeling  to  sweep 
over  him.  Yes,  he  would  take  down  Lady  Isa- 
belle. Was  he  to  be  badgered  out  of  his  dinner 
because  a  designing  old  woman  could  not  leave 
well  enough  alone? 

He  could  not  indeed  resist  casting  a  look  of 
amused  triumph  at  the  Dowager  as  he  passed  her 
with  her  daughter  on  his  arm,  but  his  conscience 
pricked  him  nevertheless,  for  he  felt  that  his  pres- 
ence must  be  distasteful  to  his  fair  companion. 
That  she  really  cared  for  him  at  all  he  could  not 
bring  himself  to  believe  in  the  light  of  their  con- 
versation on  the  walk.  Still,  her  frankness  might 
have  been  assumed  through  pique  at  unreturned 
afTection,  and  with  a  desire  born  of  pride,  to  blind 
him  to  the  true  state  of  her  feelings.  The  more 
he  thought  of  this  the  more  uneasy  he  became, 
and  he  could  not  help  noticing  that  she  was  much 
more  pale  than  he  had  as  yet  seen  her,  and  seemed 
singularly  abstracted.  Moreover,  he  was  certain 
that  she  was  incurring  her  mother's  displeasure, 
which  would  be  to  her  a  grave  matter.  He  tried 
to  make  such  atonement  as  lay  in  his  power  to 
make  her  feel  at  ease  and  to  divert  her  mind.  He 


Man  Proposes  171 

told  her  his  best  stories,  gave  her  his  most  brilliant 
conversation,  but  in  vain.  His  endeavours  fell 
hopelessly  flat,  and  at  last,  after  a  dreadful  pause, 
they  spoke  that  which  was  in  their  hearts. 

"  Do  you  think  it  was  nice  of  you  to  take  me 
in  to  dinner?"  she  asked  in  that  quiet  conversa- 
tional tone  with  which  so  many  secrets  have  been 
told  at  dinners  without  arresting  the  attention  of 
others. 

"  Really,"  he  said,  "  I'd  no  option.  Our  hos- 
tess— 

"You  managed  to  avoid  it  last  night." 

Stanley  flushed. 

"  Do  you  mind  so  much  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Oh,  no ;  but  mamma." 

"  She  didn't  show  me  much  consideration  the 
last  time  we  met." 

"  I  was  very  sorry  for  you,"  she  replied,  "  but 
as  it  had  to  come  I  thought  I  was  better  out  of 
the  way." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  you  deliberately 
left  me  to  my  fate  ?  " 

"You  mustn't  be  too  hard  on  mamma.  She 
wouldn't  have  thought  she  was  doing  right  if  she 
had  not  spoken." 

"  But,"  he  continued  relentlessly,  "  you " 

"Oh!     I ?" 

"  Yes,  supposing  I  had — succumbed." 

She  paused  a  minute,  and  then  looked  shyly  up 
at  him. 

"  In  that  case,"  she  began,  when  Mrs.  Roberts 
rose,  and  gave  the  signal  for  the  ladies  to  retire. 


172  Parlous  Times 

Stanley  cursed  the  convention,  yet  perhaps  it 
was  fortunate,  as  the  Dowager  had  been  growing 
dangerously  red  and  puffy  in  the  face,  owing  to 
the  fact  that  the  two  young  people  had,  uncon- 
sciously, drawn  closer  together  in  the  excitement 
of  those  unfinished  words. 

The  cigars  seemed  interminable ;  but  at  last 
they  were  over,  and  the  gentlemen  were  at  liberty 
to  seek  the  drawing-room. 

There  is  generally  a  moment  of  indecision  when 
the  men  come  up  from  dinner.  The  ladies  have 
appropriated  the  most  comfortable  and  naturally 
the  most  isolated  chairs,  and  their  lords  and  mas- 
ters huddle  like  sheep  in  the  doorway,  uncertain 
where  to  flee  for  refuge  and  the  most  desirable 
companion.  The  Secretary  had  studied  this  pe- 
culiarity of  his  sex,  and  had  learned  to  choose  his 
goal  beforehand.  One  glance  showed  him  that 
Lady  Isabelle  was  absent ;  either  she  had  retired, 
her  mother  was  quite  capable  of  ordering  her  off 
to  bed  to  keep  her  out  of  harm's  way,  or  else  she 
was  in  the  conservatory.  He  trusted  that  this 
last  supposition  was  correct,  and  disappeared 
among  the  palms,  when  the  Marchioness'  atten- 
tion was  directed  elsewhere. 

"  And  in  that  case  ?  "  he  said,  as  he  stood  beside 
her,  recalling  her  last  words  at  the  table.  "  In 
that  case  ?  " 

"  In  that  case,"  she  replied,  flushing  slightly,  "  I 
should  probably  have  said  something  I  might 
have  regretted,  had  not  Mrs.  Roberts  come  to  my 
rescue." 


Man  Proposes  173 

"  And  now  ?  " 

"  Don't  be  stupid,  Mr.  Stanley.  Surely  you 
know  that  any  well-brought-up  girl  would  always 
obey  her  mother — and — and  you  ought  to  see  that 
this  conversation  is  impossible." 

"  It's  certainly  unique." 

"  Don't  you  think  we  had  better  change  the 
subject  ?  " 

"  By  all  means,  if  you  wish  it,  after  I've  asked 
you  one  more  question.  I  trust  you  won't  think 
me  rude  to  persist,  but — do  you  care  for  me,  Lady 
Isabelle?" 

"As  a  friend,  yes." 

"  But  in  no  other  way  ?  " 

"  In  no  other  way." 

"  You're  quite  sure  ?  " 

"  Quite,  and  I'm  very  sorry  you  asked  me  the 
question.  I  tried  hard  to  prevent  you." 

"  You've  succeeded  admirably,"  he  said,  laugh- 
ing. "  I  was  afraid  you  did  care." 

He  held  out  his  hand,  and  she  took  it,  saying 
with  a  little  constraint  in  her  manner: 

"  You're  certainly  frank." 

He  was  pleased  to  see  that  she  was  only  piqued  ; 
the  speech  had  been  unfortunate  ;  but  Lady  Isa- 
belle had  plenty  of  common  sense,  and  she  real- 
ised that  his  naive  confession  had  cleared  the 
atmosphere,  and  made  social  intercourse  pos- 
sible. 

He  made  another  attempt  to  interest  her  in  gen- 
eral conversation,  this  time  succeeding  admirably. 
And  so  an  hour  slipped  by  unnoticed,  until  the 


1 74  Parlous  Times 

stern  voice  of  the  Dowager  recalled  them  to  the 
realities  of  life. 

"  Isabelle,"  she  said  coldly,  "  you  are  surely  for- 
getting your  duty  to  our  hostess,  and  to  me  also, 
it  seems." 

"  I'm  coming,  mamma,"  she  replied,  and  left 
him  with  a  quiet  "  Good-night." 

Stanley  felt  immensely  relieved.  That  was 
over ;  Lady  Isabelle  and  he  understood  each  other 
now,  and  his  path  was  clear  for — was  it  to  be 
matrimony  after  all  ?  He  told  himself  he  was  a 
weak  fool — that  Miss  Fitzgerald  cared  nothing  for 
him  ;  would  not  take  him  after  last  night ;  that 
he  was  under  no  real  obligation  and  that  he  was 
a  sentimental  idiot— yet,  he  must  see  her — for  his 
own  sake — to  justify  himself — to He  reso- 
lutely shut  his  eyes  to  the  future,  and  went  in 
search  of  the  lady  in  question. 

Ten  minutes  later,  Belle  and  he  were  alone  in 
the  most  favourable  place  in  the  house  fora  tete-a- 
tete,  a  curious  old  corner,  the  two  sides  of  which 
were  converted  into  a  capacious  seat  to  which  there 
was  but  one  approach,  screened  by  a  heavy  curtain 
on  one  side  and  a  suit  of  armour  on  the  other — 
safe  from  all  observers. 

"  What  a  quaint  old  house  this  is  !  "  he  said. 
"  We  might  almost  suppose  we  were  back  in  the 
sixteenth  century." 

"  Yes,"  she  replied  dreamily.  "  We're  out  of 
place  in  these  surroundings." 

She  was  in  a  strange  mood  this  evening,  sad  and 
thoughtful,  yet  lacking  the  repose  which  should 


Man  Proposes  175 

have  accompanied  reverie.  It  was  the  only  time 
that  the  Secretary  had  ever  seen  her  nervous  or 
distraite. 

"  What  have  you  been  doing  all  day  ?  "  he  asked, 
hoping  to  lead  the  conversation  to  some  more 
cheerful  subject. 

"  Trying  to  forget  myself,"  she  replied. 

"  Surely  it  would  be  a  pleasure  to  remember 
yourself,  I  should  think." 

"  Should  you  ?     I  fear  not." 

"  Your  ears  must  have  burned  this  afternoon," 
he  continued,  unheeding  her  comment.  "  Pleas- 
ant things  were  being  said  about  you." 

"  Did  you  say  them?  " 

"  Of  course  I  said  them,  I  always  do  ;  but  I  was 
referring  to  someone  else — to  Lady  Isabelle." 

"  People  only  patronise  me,  when  they  think  me 
unworthy  of  reproof." 

"  How  can  you  say  that ! "  he  exclaimed. 
"  I "  but  she  silenced  him  with  a  gesture. 

"  You've  said  it.  That's  why.  I've  never  had 
one  friend  with  whom  there  did  not  come  a  day, 
that  he  or  she  threw  me  over  and  cast  my  failings 
in  my  face.  I'd  believed  it  was  different  with  you, 
I  believed  you  trusted  me ;  that  you'd  have  trusted 
me  through  good  and  evil  report — but  no,  you're 
like  the  rest.  Society  points  its  finger  at  me,  and 
you  accept  its  verdict,  and  you're  right.  You, 
secure  in  your  social  position,  powerful,  influen- 
tial, you  shall  determine  what  is  right  and  what  is 
wrong,  and  I, — I  must  accept  it  without  a  murmur 
• — I'm  only  a  woman  without  a  friend." 


176  Parlous  Times 

"  No  !  no  !  no  !  "  he  cried  vehemently.  "  You 
wrong  me,  you  do  not  understand.  No  one  can 
respect  a  woman  more  than  I  respect  you.  It's  of 
some  of  your  friends  that  I  disapprove." 

"  A  man  is  known  by  the  company  he  keeps — 
how  much  more  a  woman.  I'm  like  my  friends — 
and  you — you  " — and  for  the  moment  she  for- 
got to  be  meek  and  suffering,  and  her  eyes  blazed 
with  passion — "  you  are  the  Pharisee  of  the  nine- 
teenth century,  the  hem  of  whose  robe  we  out- 
casts are  unworthy  to  touch  !  " 

"How  can  you!"  he  cried,  springing  to  his 
feet.  "How  can  you  do  me  so  much  wrong? 
It's  not  that  you're  like  your  friends.  It  is  the 
fear  that  you  may  become  so  that  moves  me  to 
speak  as  I  do.  But  since  you've  seen  fit  to  sus- 
pect me,  you  must  allow  me  to  justify  myself.  I 
know  the  affairs  of  this  Colonel  Darcy ;  know 
them  as  few  others  could,  by  virtue  of  my  diplo- 
matic position,  and  I  assure  you  he  has  wronged 
and  brutally  treated  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and 
sweet-natured  women  I  have  ever  seen.  Treated 
her  so  badly  that  she  was  forced  to  flee  to  our 
Legation  for  assistance  and  protection.  Imagine 
my  feelings  when  you  tell  me  that  this  man  is 
your  friend — when  I  hear  your  name  coupled 
with  his  in  the  idle  gossip  of  the  smoking- 
room." 

"  I  only  know  that  Colonel  Darcy  was  kind  to 
me  once  upon  a  time,"  she  replied,  interrupting 
the  flow  of  his  eloquence. 

"  But  what's  that  to  do  with  this?" 


Man  Proposes  177 

"  A  man  who  can  be  kind  to  a  woman  in  dis- 
tress cannot  be  wholly  bad." 

"  Why  do  you  defend  him  ?  " 

"  Never  mind  why.  Don't  let  us  talk  any  more 
about  it,"  she  said  wearily.  "  You  cannot  deny 
that  you  think  worse  of  me  for  defending  him ; 
you  can't  take  back  your  words  of  last  night. 
I've  been  thinking  it  over  carefully,  and  I've 
make  up  my  mind.  I'm  of  no  use  to  anyone.  I 
make  my  friends  ashamed  of  me — I'm  misunder- 
stood and  misjudged.  It's  the  way  of  the  world, 
but  it's  hard.  My  spirit's  broken.  I  no  longer 
have  the  wish  to  continue  the  battle.  I'm  going 
away." 

"Going  away!  When?"  he  cried,  in  amaze- 
ment. 

"  At  once." 

"And  where?" 

"  I  don't  know ;  somewhere  where  I'm  not 
known,  where  I've  no  friends  to  be  annoyed  at 
having  to  claim  me  as  an  acquaintance.  Some- 
where where  people  will  take  me  for  what  I  am, 
not  for  what  I  have  been,  for  whom  I  know,  for 
what  I  have  done  or  left  undone.  Oh,  I'm  so 
tired,  so  sick  of  it  all,"  and  she  bowed  her  head 
and  wept. 

The  effect  of  all  this  on  Stanley  can  hardly  be 
over-stated.  He  supported  her,  he  soothed  her, 
he  told  her  all  that  was  in  his  heart,  or  all  he 
thought  was  there.  She  should  not  go  away 
alone ;  he  would  go  with  her ;  he  had  shockingly 

misjudged  her;  it  should  be  his  life  task  to  make 
12 


178  Parlous  Times 

her  forget  that,  to  proclaim  to  all  the  world  how 
great  a  heritage  he  had  received  in  her  love.  They 
would  triumph  over  all  obstacles.  He  would  show 
the  world  what  a  true,  noble  woman  she  really 
was  ;  he  would  prove  it  in  the  best  way  possible 
by  marrying  her,  if  she  would  have  him,  if  she 
would  so  far  honour  him.  His  heart  was  at  her 
feet.  She  would  be  quite  right  in  spurning  it, 
but  he  besought  her  to  be  merciful,  to  give  him 
his  answer,  and  let  that  answer  be  consent. 

And  the  lady,  who,  under  these  ministrations 
and  protestations,  had  gradually  recovered  her 
self-control,  ceased  her  passionate  sobbing,  rested 
her  head  contentedly  on  his  shoulder,  and  allowed 
him,  with  but  feeble  resistance,  to  encircle  her 
waist  with  a  protecting  arm — in  short,  everything 
seemed  prepared  for  her  success,  when  the  curtain 
was  pushed  aside  and  there  stood  before  them  the 
figure  of  a  man,  which  caused  them  both  to  spring 
to  their  feet,  in  time,  as  they  fondly  hoped,  to 
escape  detection ;  the  Secretary  with  a  smothered 
exclamation  of  rage ;  the  lady,  as  she  recognised 
the  intruder,  with  a  startled  cry  of : 

"Colonel  Darcy!" 


CHAPTER  XVII 

HER  HUSBAND 

EVEN  an  unobserving  man — and  Colonel  Robert 
Darcy  was  not  that — could  hardly  have  helped 
seeing  that  his  presence  was  unwelcome,  and  that 
he  had  interrupted  an  important  interview. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  he  said,  "  I  fear  I've 
intruded. 

The  Secretary  said  nothing,  and  Miss  Fitzgerald 
came  to  the  rescue  by  declaring  that  she  was  very 
glad  to  see  him,  and  that  she  had  no  idea  he  would 
be  in  Sussex  so  soon. 

"  The  fact  is,  I  particularly  wanted  to  see  you," 
he  replied  bluntly. 

Thereupon  Mr.  Stanley  did  that  most  unpar- 
donable thing  in  good  society — lost  his  temper 
and  gave  evidence  of  the  fact ;  a  piece  of  egotism 
often  noticeable  in  young  men  during  their  first 
years  of  social  life,  before  a  severe  course  of  snub- 
bing has  taught  them  of  how  little  relative  im- 
portance they  really  are. 

"  Three's,  an  impossible  number  for  a  tete-a- 
tete,"  he  said  stiffly,  "  so  if  you'll  excuse  me," 
and  he  started  to  leave  her  side. 

Up  to  this  point  Belle  had  been  in  some  doubt 

as  to  how  she  ought  to  act ;  but  when  the  Secre- 

179 


180  Parlous  Times 

tary  took  the  initiative,  it  at  once  gave  her  her 
cue,  and  she  was  quick  to  save  the  situation. 

"  There  are  no  secrets  between  friends,"  she 
said  hastily,  "  and  you're  both  friends  of  mine,  so 
I  shall  expect  you  to  be  friends  of  each  other's." 

"  This  is  Colonel  Robert  Darcy,  Jimsy — we  call 
him  Bob  for  short,"  she  rattled  on,  laughing  nerv- 
ously. "  And  now,  Bob,  why  have  you  arrived  so 
unexpectedly  in  Sussex  ?  " 

"  I  think  you've  forgotten  to  introduce  me 
to  Colonel  Darcy,  Miss  Fitzgerald,"  suggested 
Stanley. 

"  Dear  me,  I  believe  I  have,"  replied  that  lady, 
calmly.  "  Bob,  this  is  Jimsy ;  Jimsy,  this  is  Bob 
— that'll  do  for  the  present.  I'll  tell  you  the  rest 
of  his  names,  titles  and  appurtenances  when  I've 
more  time  and  less  to  talk  about.  So  now  we  are 
friends  and  have  no  secrets  from  each  other,  there- 
fore out  with  yours." 

Darcy  laughed. 

"You  see,  Jimsy,"  continued  Miss  Fitzgerald, 
turning  to  the  Secretary,  "  though  I'm  young  and 
ignorant,  men  have  always  come  to  me  for  advice, 
or,  perhaps,  for  the  use  of  my  intuition." 

"  I'm  sure  I  trust  Colonel  Darcy  will  profit  by 
it ;  but  even  our  well-established  friendship  gives 
me  no  right  to  play  third  party  to  his  confi- 
dences, and  as  I  promised  Kingsland  a  game  of 
pool 

"  Ah,  but  you  mustn't  go ;  really  you  mustn't," 
expostulated  the  Colonel,  "  or  you'll  make  me 
feel  I've  intruded." 


Her  Husband  181 

Stanley  felt  that  it  was  not  his  fault  if  that 
officer  did  not  already  possess  those  sentiments, 
and  was  about  to  stand  to  his  decision,  when 
Miss  Fitzgerald  pulled  him  down  beside  her, 
saying : 

"Don't  talk  nonsense,  Jimsy.  I'm  dying  to 
hear  Bob's  secrets,  and  he's  been  here  five  min- 
utes already,  and  we  haven't  allowed  him  to  get  a 
word  in  edgewise." 

Thus  admonished,  the  Secretary  had  no  choice 
but  to  be  an  unwilling  listener. 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know  why  I  should  dignify 
my  affairs  by  the  name  of  secrets,"  began  Darcy, 
with  ill-attempted  nonchalance,  "  or  why  I  should 
be  reticent  about  speaking  of  them,  either.  It's 
more  than  the  Press  will  be  in  the  next  few  days," 
and  he  laughed  harshly. 

"  My  dear  Bob  !  "  exclaimed  Miss  Fitzgerald, 
with  a  horror  that  was  meant  to  be  assumed,  but 
nevertheless  had  a  touch  of  reality  about  it.  "  My 
dear  Bob !  I  knew  you  were  bad,  but  don't  tell 
me  you're  as  bad  as  all  that !  " 

"  I'm  afraid  so,"  he  replied.  Then  turning  to 
Stanley,  continued,  "  I  suppose  you've  not  the 
misfortune  to  be  married  ?  " 

"  I'm  a  single  man,"  replied  the  Secretary,  who, 
under  the  circumstances,  felt  that  a  mere  state- 
ment of  fact  was  infinitely  better  than  an  ex- 
pressed opinion. 

"  Then  of  course  you  can't  conceive  the  pleas- 
ures of  anticipation  which  the  prospect  of  the 
divorce  court  arouses  in  the  mind  of  a  husband." 


1 82  Parlous  Times 

"  I  can  imagine  that  the  point  of  view  would 
largely  depend  on  his  own  status  in  the  case." 

"  You  don't  mean  to  tell  me,  Bob,"  cried  Miss 
Fitzgerald,  "  that  she's  been  foolish  enough !  " 

"  Oh,  I'm  the  accused  in  the  present  indict- 
ment. But,  fortunately  for  me,  women  are  by 
nature  inconsistent." 

"  Why  do  you  say  that  ?  "  she  asked. 

"Why?  Because,  having  run  away  from  my 
house  and  secured  legal  assistance  in  London  to 
bring  suit  against  me — well,  on  statutory  grounds, 
she  has,  as  a  proof  of  her  injuries,  seen  fit  to  take 
up  her  residence  at  the  bachelor  quarters  of  her 
Secretary  of  Legation." 

"What!  Is  she  there  now ?"  cried  Miss  Fitz- 
gerald, her  eyes  flashing,  as  she  turned  them  full 
on  Stanley. 

That  gentleman,  who  had  foreseen  this  dtnouc- 
ment  from  the  first,  half  rose  to  his  feet  with  a 
view  of  crushing  his  defamer,  but  the  Colonel's 
next  statement  so  staggered  him  that  he  sunk 
back  in  his  seat. 

"  No,"  replied  that  officer,  in  answer  to  Miss 
Fitzgerald's  question.  "  No.  London  life  didn't 
seem  to  agree  with  them,  so  they've  made  a  little 
expedition  into  Sussex  together  ;  in  fact,  they're 
both  here,  or  hereabouts." 

"What  do  you  say?"  cried  Belle,  quite  dazed 
by  this  astounding  declaration. 

"  Oh,  it's  quite  true.  She  actually  had  the 
effrontery  to  write  me  requesting  that  I  send  her 
belongings  to  his  chambers.  Of  course  I  got  no 


Her  Husband  183 

satisfaction  in  London,  for  my  young  man,  with 
a  discretion  far  beyond  his  years,  promptly  left 
for  parts  unknown.  I  didn't  search  for  him,  I 
watched  her.  I  knew  I  could  trust  her  to  put  me 
on  the  scent,  if  not  to  lead  me  to  the  quarry. 
She's  quite  fulfilled  my  expectations.  When  she 
left  town  my  detective  was  on  hand,  followed  her 
to  Liverpool  Street,  watched  her  while  she  took 
her  ticket,  secured  a  place  in  another  part  of  the 
same  train,  located  her  in  a  farmhouse  on  this 
estate,  and,  as  I  suspected,  found  that  among  the 
guests  at  the  Hall  was  my  co-respondent,  Mr.  Sec- 
retary Aloysius  Stanley." 

The  speaker  paused,  and  absolute  silence 
reigned  between  them ;  but  he  did  not  seem  to 
notice  the  tense  muscles  of  the  man  or  the  flushed 
anxiety  of  the  woman. 

"  Well,  that's  the  story,"  he  said  shortly.  "  Not 
a  pretty  one,  either,  is  it ;  but  of  course  I  shall 
have  to  see  it  through,  and,  as  a  first  step,  I  must 
ask  the  assistance  of  you  both  in  meeting  this 
little  cad  of  a  diplomat.  After  I've  settled  with 
him,  I  shall  leave  her  quite  free  to " 

"  Stop  !  "  cried  the  Secretary.  "  Don't  say  that, 
Colonel  Darcy.  Don't  you  dare  to  say  it !  " 

"  What  the  devil  —  I "  began  Darcy, 

completely  astonished  at  the  turn  affairs  had 
taken. 

"  Miss  Fitzgerald,"  continued  his  companion, 
"  neglected  to  introduce  me  formally,  but  I  will 
rectify  that  error.  My  name  is  Aloysius  Stanley, 
and  I'm  the  Secretary  of  Legation  to  whom 


184  Parlous  Times 

you've  presumed  to  allude  in  language  for  which 
I  shall  demand  an  explanation." 

"  We'll  settle  our  difficulties  at  some  more  ap- 
propriate time,  sir,"  replied  the  Colonel,  with 
repressed  anger  patent  in  every  tone. 

"  We'll  settle  them  here  and  now — I  demand  a 
retraction  of  what  you've  just  said,  or  intimated, 
in  regard  to  my  relations  with  your  wife." 

"  I'll  give  you  the  only  satisfaction  you  have  a 
right  to  expect,  and  I  to  demand,  when  and  where 
you  please." 

"  Gentlemen  !  gentlemen  !  "  exclaimed  Miss 
Fitzgerald,  fearful  of  what  their  anger  might  lead 
to.  "  Pray  remember  that  you're  in  the  presence 
of  a  lady." 

"  You  need  have  no  fear,"  said  Stanley,  in  re- 
ply to  her  request,  "  /  shall  not  forget  myself" 
Then  turning  to  Darcy,  he  continued  : 

"  Did  not  my  profession,  which  is  essentially 
one  of  peace,  prevent  me  from  taking  any  notice 
of  your  absurd  challenge,  I  should  still  refuse  to 
involve  myself  in  a  matter  with  which  I've  no 
concern,  merely  because  you've  been  enough  of  a 
cad  to  slander  your  wife  in  the  presence  of  a  third 
person." 

"If  I  ever  meet  you  outside!"  began  the 
Colonel,  purple  with  rage — but  the  Secretary 
continued  his  remarks,  oblivious  of  the  inter- 
ruption. 

"  There  is  one  thing,  however,  that  I  shall  do," 
he  said.  "  Unless  you  leave  this  house  immedi- 
ately, I  shall  inform  my  hostess,  who  has  already 


Her  Husband  185 

refused  to  include  your  name  in  her  party,  of 
what  I  know  of  you,  and  then  put  you  out." 

"  Do  go,  Bob !  "  cried  Belle.  "  Do,  to  please 
me." 

"  Oh,  to  please  you,"  said  Darcy,  sulkily,  "  I 
suppose  I  must.  But  where  I'm  to  go  for  a 
night's  lodging,  in  this  God-forsaken  place,  is 
quite  a  problem." 

"  Oh,  there's  a  good  inn  just  outside  the  Lodge 
gates.  I  know  the  proprietor  of  it,"  said  Miss 
Fitzgerald. 

"  Perhaps  you'll  give  me  a  line  to  him,"  he  sug- 
gested, "  as  you're  turning  me  out,  and  I've  no 
luggage  to  insure  my  respectability." 

"  Certainly,"  she  replied,  "  if  you've  a  pencil, 
and  will  excuse  the  back  of  an  old  envelope." 

The  Colonel  nodded,  and  she  took  an  undi- 
rected envelope,  which  seemed  to  be  carrying 
more  than  it  could  conveniently  hold,  from  the 
pocket  of  her  dress,  and  hastily  scribbled  a  line 
on  it  with  the  pencil  he  gave  her,  handing  them 
both  to  him  nervously. 

"  Perhaps,"  suggested  the  Secretary  coldly,  who 
had  watched  this  transaction  with  growing  irrita- 
tion, "  it  would  be  as  well  to  remove  the  contents 
of  your  letter,  Miss  Fitzgerald.  You  should  be 
careful  to  whom  you  entrust  your  correspondence." 

She  faced  him,  and  looked  at  him  steadily,  with 
those  great  blue  eyes  of  hers,  while  she  said,  with 
measured  force  and  deliberation : 

"  I  should  be  quite  willing  to  trust  the  contents 
of  any  of  my  letters  to  Colonel  Darcy 's  care," 


1 86  Parlous  Times 

The  Colonel  had,  meantime,  been  nervously 
twisting  the  envelope  round  his  fingers,  and 
Stanley  caught  sight  of  a  well-known  monogram 
composed  of  the  initials  A.  R.  It  was  the  letter 
he  had  taken  from  Kingsland,  and  restored  to  Mr. 
Riddle.  How  came  it  in  Belle's  hands — the  seal 
still  unbroken,  and  why  was  it  given  to  Darcy  ? 
His  suspicions,  so  long  lulled  by  careful  artifice, 
were  at  once  aroused,  and  he  threw  the  Colonel  a 
glance,  the  meaning  of  which  was  not  lost  on  the 
woman.  Suddenly,  her  whole  manner  changing, 
she  became  nervous  and  excitable,  once  more  say- 
ing to  Darcy : 

"  Now,  go,  Bob ;  go  at  once,  for  all  our  sakes." 

He  growled  a  surly  reply,  and  before  the  Secre- 
tary was  aware  of  his  intentions,  had  left  the 
room. 

Stanley  stood  for  a  moment,  dazed ;  uncertain 
whether  to  follow  or  remain,  his  breast  full  of  con- 
flicting emotions  ;  bewilderment  at  the  vast  field 
of  possibilities  opened  by  the  Colonel's  receipt  of 
the  letter ;  rage  at  his  cowardly  imputations,  and 
dismay  at  the  consequences  of  the  strong  cir- 
cumstantial evidence  which  Madame  Darcy  had 
unwittingly  manufactured  against  him  ;  and  at  the 
effect  which  the  Colonel's  charges  might  produce 
on  Miss  Fitzgerald. 

He  was  prepared  for  hysterics,  recriminations, 
stern  questions,  scorn,  anger,  and  endless  tears; 
but  totally  unprepared  for  the  ringing  burst  of 
laughter  which  greeted  him  as  soon  as  the  Colonel 
had  left  the  room ;  cold,  cynical  laughter,  from 


Her  Husband  187 

the  girl  he  had  just  asked  to  be  his  wife,  who 
threw  herself  on  the  couch,  her  eyes  flashing  and 
her  whole  face  twitching  with  anger  or  merriment, 
he  was  not  certain  which. 

"  Oh  dear — oh  dear  ! "  she  cried,  when  she  could 
at  last  control  her  voice,  "  this  is  too  funny !  too 
dreadfully  funny  !  " 

"  I  don't  see  anything  amusing  about  it,"  he 
said  bluntly.  He  was  angry  and  sore,  and  this 
ill-timed  merriment  irritated  him. 

"  Don't  you  ?  Then  you  must  have  lost  your 
sense  of  humour.  This  young  man,"  she  con- 
tinued, pointing  at  him,  as  if  she  were  exhibiting 
him  to  a  crowd.  "  This  good  young  man,  who 
preaches  me  sermons  on  self-respect — who  is  con- 
cerned for  my  good  name — who  thinks  I've  been 
too  careless  of  my  reputation,  who  is  cut  to  the 
heart  because  I  do  not  live  up  to  the  ideal  to  which 
he  considers  a  woman  should  attain,  who  has  just 
done  me  the  honour  to  ask  my  hand  in  marriage 
— not  because  he  loves  me — oh  dear,  no — but  be- 
cause he  feels  it  his  duty  to  save  me  from  myself. 
This  practical  young  man,  who  combines  pleasure 
with  duty,  by  conducting  an  affaire  du  cceur,  in  a 
neighbouring  farmhouse,  with  my  friend's  wife,  but 
whose  morality  is  so  outraged  at  the  man  who  is 
courteous  enough  to  permit  that  wife  to  get  the 
divorce,  that  he  can't  bear  to  be  in  the  same  room 
with  him.  This  superlatively  excellent  young 
man,  who  had  almost  persuaded  me  that  I  was 
wrong  in  my  estimate  of  human  nature,  turns  out 
to  be  the  worst  of  the  lot,  a  whitened  sepulchre  of 


1 88  Parlous  Times 

lying  and  hypocrisy  and  deceit — or  perhaps  I 
should  sum  it  all  up  and  say — a  model  of  diplo- 
macy. Isn't  it  funny — isn't  it  cruelly,  wickedly 
humorous  ?  Do  you  wonder  I  laugh  ?  " 

"If  you  can  believe  this  of  me,  Miss  Fitz- 
gerald  "  began  the  Secretary,  who  had  flushed, 

and  then  turned  as  white  as  a  sheet. 

"  One  story's  good  till  another  is  told,  my  dear 
Jimsy ;  but  I  was  wrong  to  have  laughed.  I  quite 
understand,  believe  me,  the  painfulness  of  your 
position." 

"  I  tell  you  it's  not  true "  he  began. 

"  Oh,  don't  try  to  improve  the  situation.  You 
can't  " — she  continued,  rising  and  towering  before 
him  in  the  majesty  of  her  wrath.  "  I'd  really 
come  to  believe  that  there  was  one  among  the 
hundreds  of  worthless,  vicious,  mercenary  human 
beings  I  know,  who  called  themselves  men,  who 
was  what  he  claimed  to  be ;  who  really  believed 
in  the  old  fallacies  of  right  and  duty,  and  moral 
cleanliness,  and  lived  up  to  them  ;  who  really  kept 
the  ten  commandments  in  thought  as  well  as  in 
act,  a  strong  rock  of  defence  to  whom  I  might 
cling  in  time  of  trouble  ;  but  he's  a  fraud  like  all 
the  rest,  and  the  man  I  made  a  hero  turns  out  to 
be  of  clay  !  " 

She  paused,  and  the  Secretary,  controlling  him- 
self, replied  coldly : 

"  After  what  you've  said,  it's  of  course  worse 
than  useless  for  me  to  repeat  the  question  I  asked 
you  just  before  Colonel  Darcy  intruded  his  pres- 
ence upon  us.  It  had  better  remain  unanswered." 


Her  Husband  189 

"  No,"  she  said.  "  I  don't  think  so.  It  needs 
an  answer,  and  you  shall  have  it — but  not  yet. 
I've  been  a  little  fool,  and  have  been  punished  for 
my  folly;  but  I  don't  know  any  reason  why  I 
should  make  you  suffer.  You're  only  as  you  were 
made.  You  can't  help  it,  I  dare  say." 

"  You  surely  can't  think  of  marrying  me,  believ- 
ing what  you  do." 

"  I  don't  know.  While  I  thought  you  were  an 
angel,  I  was  afraid  of  you.  I  thought  I  should 
have  to  be  constantly  living  up  to  you  and  listen- 
ing to  sermons ; — Thank  Heavens  you  can  never 
preach  to  me  again.  Even  you  wouldn't  have  the 
face  to  do  it  now.  But  since  I've  found  out  that 
you're  only  very  human,  I  really  don't  know  but 
what  I  might  grow  to  love  you.  I'll  think  it  over. 
There,"  she  continued,  "  don't  look  so  sheepish. 
I  may  decide  not  to  take  you  after  all,  but  until 
then  consider  yourself  on  approval.  Don't  say 
anything  more,  you'd  only  bore  me.  I  want  to 
be  by  myself  and  get  my  face  straight,  if  I  can," 
and  crossing  the  room  she  broke  out  again  into 
peals  of  ringing,  unmusical  laughter. 

"  This  is  intolerable ! "  he  cried,  but  he  ad- 
dressed thin  air, — he  was  alone. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
THE  DOOR  WITH  THE  SILVER  NAILS 

"  ST.  JAMES'  CLUB, 

"  PICCADILLY,  W. 

"  MY  DEAR  STANLEY, 

"  I  am  sending  this  letter  to  you  at  Roberts' 
Hall,  because  I  am  certain  that  you  are  there. 

"  I  can  fancy  you  drawing  a  long  face,  and  ad- 
mitting to  yourself  that  you  are  certainly  in  for  a 
sermon  from  that  old  bore,  Kent-Lauriston,  but 
you  are  entirely  mistaken.  I  shall  neither  expost- 
ulate with  nor  upbraid  you,  for  you  have  done  ex- 
actly what  I  expected  you  would  do.  Nevertheless 
I  mean  to  save  you  from  yourself,  to  which  end  I 
trust  you  are  not  as  yet  entangled,  as  it  is  less  easy 
gracefully  to  break  than  make  an  engagement. 

"  The  fact  is,  my  dear  Mr.  Secretary,  I  do  not 
consider  you,  under  the  present  circumstances,  a 
responsible  creature.  The  fascinating  Miss  Fitz- 
gerald has,  I  can  well  imagine,  driven  all  other 
considerations  into  the  background. 

"  I  should  probably  have  let  you  go  to  your  fate, 
unchecked  by  any  letter  of  mine,  did  I  not  feel 
that  I  had  been  morally  negligent.  You  came  to 
put  your  case  in  my  hands,  and  proved  so  sweetly 

rational  that,  for  the  last  time  I   swear,  I  trusted 
190 


The  Door  with  the  Silver  Nails     191 

in  human  nature,  and  left  you  to  your  own  de- 
vices, instead  of  watching  your  every  movement 
until  the  danger  was  past. 

"  Of  course  I  have  heard  the  little  scandal  about 

your  escapade   with    Colonel  D 's  wife.     All 

London  is  ringing  with  it,  thanks  to  her  husband. 

"  What  you  most  want  is  change  of  scene  and 
occupation,  to  distract  you  from  your  present 
cares.  There  is  only  one  way  to  drown  care  with- 
out drowning  oneself — and  that  is  by  work.  So 
unless  I  find  you  grinding  away  at  the  Legation 
to-morrow  noon,  I  shall  invite  myself  to  be  one 
of  Mrs.  Roberts'  house-party,  and  we  shall  see 
what  may  be  effected  even  in  the  face  of  over- 
whelming odds.  Give  me  a  fair  field  and  no 
favour,  and  I  pledge  my  word  to  win  you  to 
yourself. 

"  In  any  event  command  my  humble  services. 
"  Yours  as  ever, 

"  KENT-LAURISTON. 

"  Friday  evening." 

The  Secretary  dropped  back  on  the  comfortable 
divan  that  occupied  a  recess  in  one  corner  of  the 
smoking-room,  and  gazed  vacantly  at  the  letter  as 
it  lay  in  his  lap  ;  then  he  gave  a  great  sigh,  and 
reached  for  a  fresh  cigarette.  In  his  own  estima- 
tion, matters  could  not  be  worse,  but  unfortu- 
nately he  was  not  in  a  position  to  heed  his  friend's 
advice  and  bolt  for  London  the  first  thing  in  the 
morning — indeed  his  recognition  of  Darcy's  letter, 
the  possible  significance  of  which  he  was  at  last 


192  Parlous  Times 

beginning  to  realise,  imperatively  demanded  his 
presence  and  attention. 

Besides,  he  was  now  accountable  to  others.  To 
Belle  in  the  first  place — and  to  Colonel  Darcy  in 
the  second.  For  the  latter  he  cared  not  a  whit.  It 
was  true  that  circumstantial  evidence  had  made 
rather  a  strong  case  against  him — but  the  Secretary 
was  sure  the  Colonel  did  not  really  believe  the 
charge  he  had  preferred  against  his  wife  to  be  true, 
and  that  he  had  merely  seen,  in  the  unfortu- 
nate combination  of  circumstances,  a  chance  of 
strengthening  his  own  position. 

But  while  Stanley  had  little  concern  for  the 
Colonel's  status,  he  felt  a  great  deal  for  his  own. 
Fate  had  treated  him  badly,  very  badly,  and  he 
owed  it  to  Belle  and  to  Madame  Darcy,  and  to  his 
own  good  name,  to  right  himself  as  speedily  as 
possible. 

The  figure  he  would  cut  in  Madame  Darcy 's 
eyes  was  bad  enough  in  all  conscience.  He  sup- 
posed she  would  never  speak  to  him  again,  and, 
for  some  reason  which  he  was  at  a  loss  to  explain 
satisfactorily  to  himself,  this  prospect  made  him 
feel  uncommonly  blue.  He  even  felt  no  resent- 
ment against  her,  though  her  innocent  rashness 
had  been  the  font  of  all  his  misfortunes.  Some- 
how it  seemed  an  honour  to  be  associated  with 
her,  even  to  his  own  undoing.  And  that  by  any 
efforts  in  her  behalf,  he  should  have  unwittingly 
injured  her,  nearly  drove  him  to  despair,  with 
chagrin  and  regret. 

But  if  his  position  in  the  eyes  of  Madame  Darcy 


The  Door  with  the  Silver  Nails     193 

and  of  himself  was  most  awkward,  the  position 
he  held  in  Miss  Fitzgerald's  estimation  was,  he 
told  himself  again  and  again,  simply  unbearable. 
That  it  was  possible  for  any  good  woman  to  be- 
lieve— and  she  certainly  did  believe — the  things 
that  were  said  about  him,  and  yet  find  it  in  her 
heart  to  even  consider  matrimony  with  such  an 
unscrupulous  cad  as  he  must  appear  to  her,  re- 
volted him.  It  was  not  nice ;  he  was  sure  Lady 
Isabelle  would  never  have  done  so. 

Perhaps  she  did  not  care,  that  was  worst  of  all ; 
that  she  did  not  care  for  him,  for  his  good  name, 
his  honour,  his  reputation,  only  for — the  thought 
was  intolerable — he  started  up  and  drank  off  a 
strong  peg  of  whiskey ;  he  felt  that  he  needed  a 
bracer.  In  the  hopes  of  distracting  his  thoughts, 
he  once  more  took  up  and  re-read  Kent-Laur- 
iston's  letter,  which  had  arrived  before  dinner  and 
lain  forgotten  during  the  excitement  of  the  eve- 
ning ;  and  which  he  had  found  waiting  to  greet 
him,  when,  at  the  close  of  that  dreadful  interview, 
he  had  stolen  away  to  his  room  without  bidding 
anybody  good-night.  He  remembered  that  he 
had  hesitated  to  open  it,  knowing  as  he  did  that 
it  contained  a  remonstrance  against  committing  a 
folly,  which  he  had  already  committed.  He  had 
determined  to  read  it  calmly,  but  it  awakened 
within  him  a  scathing  self-examination  most  un- 
settling in  its  result. 

He  recognised  it  as  the  dictum  of  an  astute 
man  of  the  world,  a  "  connoisseur  des  grandes 
passions"  one  v> ho  knew  the  symptoms  with  un- 


194  Parlous  Times 

failing  accuracy.  In  short,  the  Secretary  did  not 
for  a  moment  doubt  the  truth  of  what  his  friend 
had  written ;  but  he  was  equally  certain  that  it 
did  not  apply  to  his  own  case. 

Miss  Fitzgerald  had  by  no  means  driven  all 
other  thoughts  from  his  mind.  Indeed,  he  real- 
ised that  she  had,  during  the  last  few  days,  held 
a  relatively  small  place  in  his  thoughts.  He  was 
not  miserable  when  he  was  absent  from  her — he 
had  enjoyed  his  talk  with  Madame  Darcy  and  his 
walk  with  Lady  Isabelle  immensely.  He  had 
not  even  decided  that  he  should  ask  Belle  to  marry 
him  till  the  eleventh  hour,  and  was  not  that  de- 
cision due,  after  all,  to  the  pity  which,  we  are 
told,  is  akin  to  love,  but  which  by  itself  forms 
such  an  unsatisfactory  substitute?  Would  his 
friend  have  any  trouble  in  winning  him  to  himself, 
as  he  expressed  it  ?  Was  he  supremely  happy  ? 
Was  he  not  rather,  in  his  heart  of  hearts,  wishing 
himself  well  out  of  the  whole  affair  ?  The  words 
of  Madame  Darcy  came  back  to  him,  doubly  en- 
forced by  these  contradictory  data. 

"  You  do  not  love  her.  Love  is  blind.  Love 
does  not  reason." 

Had  it  come  to  this,  then — was  he  such  a  weak 
fool  that  he  did  not  know  his  own  mind ;  that  he 
had  proposed  to  a  woman  who  existed  only  in 
his  imagination ;  who  so  little  resembled  the  real 
one  that  he  had  no  wish  to  assimilate  the  two ; 
that  he  was  already  regretting  the  step  before  it 
was  half  taken?  What  hope  did  that  hold  out 
for  a  happy  future  ?  He  was  thoroughly  disgust- 


The  Door  with  the  Silver  Nails     195 

ed  with  himself.  In  a  fit  of  mortified  rage,  he 
crumpled  up  the  letter  in  his  hand,  and  threw  him- 
self down  among  the  cushions  of  the  divan.  As 
he  lay  there  Kingsland  entered  the  room. 

"  Why,"  he  said,  "  I  thought  you  had  retired." 

This  was,  indeed,  the  truth,  but  the  restlessness 
induced  by  Kent-Lauriston's  note  had  made  the 
confinement  of  his  chamber  seem  intolerable,  and 
a  rapid  survey  of  the  rooms  downstairs  assured 
him  that  the  Dowager  and  Miss  Fitzgerald  were 
in  full  possession ;  a  combination  which,  under 
the  circumstances,  he  did  not  care  to  face.  These 
facts,  however,  were  hardly  to  be  adduced  to  a 
third  party,  and  the  Secretary,  turning  to  the  re- 
sources of  diplomacy,  reminded  the  Lieutenant 
that  they  had  had  an  appointment  for  a  game  of 
pool,  which  one  of  them,  at  least,  had  not  seen  fit 
to  keep. 

"  Shall  we  have  it  now?  "  suggested  Kingsland. 

"  No,"  answered  Stanley.     "  I'm  not  feeling  fit." 

"  Try  a  drink,  then." 

"  I've  just  had  one." 

"  Drinking  alone  ?  That's  a  bad  sign.  What 
are  you  so  blue  about  ?  " 

"  I'm  wondering,"  said  Stanley,  "  how  a  man 
can  ever  be  fool  enough  to  fall  in  love,  or  get 
married." 

"  Oh,"  said  the  Lieutenant,  "  so  she's  refused 
you,  eh  ?" 

"Who?" 

"  Belle  Fitzgerald." 

"Yes,"  replied  the  Secretary,  shortly. 


196  Parlous  Times 

The  Lieutenant  thrust  his  hands  deep  into  his 
trousers  pockets  and  paced  the  room  in  silence, 
whistling  softly  to  himself.  Finally  he  remarked  : 

"  Well,  I'm  sorry,  old  chap,  but  I've  been  more 
lucky." 

"  Oh,"  said  the  Secretary.  "  Lady  Isabelle,  I 
suppose." 

Kingland  nodded. 

"  Does  mamma  approve?"  inquired  Stanley. 

The  young  officer  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  I'm  going  to  postpone  entering  into  that  mat- 
ter," he  said,  "  till  after  the  ceremony." 

"  Oh,"  said  the  Secretary  shortly.  "  An  elope- 
ment. Well,  I  don't  know  that  I  can  conscien- 
tiously offer  my  congratulations — to  Lady  Isabelle, 
at  least,  but  I  dare  say  you'll  find  it  worth  while." 

"You  needn't  be  so  nasty,  just  because  you've 
been  disappointed." 

"  Oh,  it  isn't  that ;  but,  as  you  say,  I've  no 
reason  to  express  an  opinion.  It  isn't  the  first 
time  a  young  man's  eloped  with  a  lady  of  means." 

"  Well,"  snapped  the  Lieutenant  in  reply,  "  it's  a 
shade  above  eloping  with  somebody  else's  wife 
who  happens  to  have  a  large  bank  account." 

Stanley  sprang  to  his  feet. 

"  If  that  cad  of  a  Darcy,"  he  cried,  "has  been 
saying — 

"  Oh,  you  needn't  assume  the  high  moral  role," 
said  Kingsland.  "  I've  just  had  the  story  first 
hand  from  him." 

"It  isn't  the  first  time  he's  told  it  to-night," 
snapped  the  Secretary. 


The  Door  with  the  Silver  Nails     197 

"  What !    You  don't  mean  to  the  fair  Belle  ?  " 

Stanley  nodded,  and  Kingsland  threw  himself 
on  the  sofa  in  a  paroxysm  of  laughter. 

"  But  how  did  you  come  to  see  Darcy  ?  "  de- 
manded the  young  diplomat,  ignoring  his  friend's 
ill-timed  merriment.  "  I  ordered  him  out  of  the 
house." 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  Lieutenant,  "  so  he  told  me. 
But  he's  lost  a  valuable  letter  in  the  hall." 

"  The  hall  ?  Why,  there  doesn't  seem  to  be 
much  chance  of  losing  anything  there.  There  are 
no  draperies  and  very  little  furniture." 

"  Well,  it's  a  queer  business,"  admitted  the 
officer.  "  But  while  the  Colonel  was  telling  me 
about  your  little  escapade,  he  dropped  a  letter 
which  he  had  taken  from  its  envelope,  and  just  at 
that  moment  the  butler  came  in.  He  started  to 
pick  up  the  letter  for  the  Colonel,  but  Darcy 
jumped  forward,  and  so  between  them  it  was 
pushed  under  the  crack  of  that  old  oak  door 
studded  with  silver  nails." 

"  A  letter !  "  cried  the  Secretary.  "  Did  you 
notice  what  it  looked  like  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  Kingsland  incautiously,  "  except 
that  it  had  an  address  scrawled  across  one  side  in 
pencil." 

Stanley  waited  to  hear  no  more.  Fate  seemed 
playing  into  his  hands  at  last,  and  springing  to  the 
door  he  threw  it  open,  and  saw  to  his  intense 
astonishment  the  figure  of  Colonel  Darcy  grovel- 
ling on  the  floor  of  the  hall. 

"  I    thought    I  told  you  to  leave    this  house, 


Parlous  Times 

Colonel  Darcy,''  said  Stanley,  striving  to  be  calm, 
but  his  voice  quivering  with  suppressed  emotion. 

"So  you  did,"  replied  his  adversary,  rising 
slowly  to  his  feet,  very  red  in  the  face  and  some- 
what short  of  breath. 

"  Then  why  haven't  you  gone  ?  Do  you  wish 
me  to  speak  to  Mrs.  Roberts  ?  " 

"  I  intended  to  obey  your  request,  out  of  respect 
to  Miss  Fitzgerald.  But  the  fact  is,  I  have  lost 
an  important  letter." 

"  So  Kingsland  tells  me,  though  it  seems  almost 
impossible." 

"  Truth,  sir,  is  often  stranger  than  fiction,"  re- 
plied the  Colonel  angrily,  "  as  our  own  relations 
with  each  other  have  already  proved.  But,  as  you 
have  given  me  the  lie  once  this  evening,  you  can, 
if  you  see  fit,  prove  the  truth  of  my  statement  by 
referring  it  to  the  butler." 

"  I  gave  you  the  lie,  as  you  express  it,  Colonel 
Darcy,"  replied  the  Secretary,  "because  my  own 
knowledge  assured  me  that  your  charges  were 
untrue.  In  this  case,  however,  I  am  quite  ready 
to  fully  accept  your  statement.  But  it's  a  pure 
waste  of  time  to  attempt  to  recover  your  letter. 
For  two  hundred  years  they've  tried  to  open  that 
portal,  and  to  this  day  it  remains  closed." 

"  The  butler  told  me  some  such  cock-and-bull 
story — but  of  course " 

"  It's  quite  true." 

"  But  I  must  have  my  letter.  I  must  have  it,  I 
tell  you — surely  someone  knows  the  secret." 

"There's a  legend  current  to  the  effect  that  the 


The  Door  with  the  Silver  Nails     199 

pressure  of  five  of  these  silver  nails,  one  by  each 
of  the  five  fingers,  will  suffice  to  open  the  door. 
But  to  my  way  of  thinking  it's  likely  to  remain 
closed  for  two  centuries  to  come." 

"  Curse  it !  "  cried  the  Colonel,  throwing  himself 
against  the  portal  in  a  frenzy.  "  It  has  neither 
handle  nor  key-hole,  and  it's  as  firm  as  iron ! 
What  am  I  to  do?" 

"If  it's  absolutely  necessary  to  recover  this 
document,  I'll  tell  Mrs.  Roberts.  Though  I  should 
doubt  if  she'd  consent  to  ruin  an  interesting  heir- 
loom for  the  sake  of  a  gentleman  against  whom 
she  already  entertains  a  prejudice." 

"  I  couldn't  think  of  it.  Impossible  to  put  Mrs. 
Roberts  to  so  much  inconvenience;  I  shouldn't 
consider  it  for  a  moment !  Let  the  cursed  letter 
remain  where  it  is !  "  replied  the  Colonel,  evidently 
very  much  upset  by  this  proposition. 

"As  I'd  supposed,  Colonel  Darcy,  you  would 
prefer  that  the  document  should  remain  where  it 
is,  rather  than  it  should  pass,  even  temporarily, 
into  any  other  hands  than  yours.  Might  I  inquire 
if  it's  the  one  you  received  from  Miss  Fitzgerald." 

"  It  is,  of  course,  quite  useless  to  attempt  to 
deceive  a  diplomat,"  replied  his  companion,  with  a 
touch  of  temper  which  was  not  lost  on  Stanley, 
who  answered  composedly : 

"  I  think  you  may  be  reasonably  assured  that 
your  letter  will  never  be  found  till  you  and  it  have 
long  been  dust,  and  till  not  only  its  importance, 
but  its  very  meaning,  have  become  unintelligible. 
You  may  consider  it  irrevocably  lost,  and  so,  as 


2oo  Parlous  Times 

there's  no  further  excuse  for  your  remaining, 
Colonel  Darcy,  I'll  wish  you — good-night,"  and 
the  Secretary  threw  open  the  great  hall  door. 

"  Good-night,  Mr.  Stanley,"  replied  the  unwel- 
come guest,  with  a  frown  of  anger  as  he  passed 
over  the  threshold.  "  Good-night — but  not  good- 
bye— remember  we've  still  a  score  to  settle." 


CHAPTER   XIX 

A  MIDNIGHT  MESSAGE 

STANLEY  closed  the  great  front  door,  turned 
the  key,  shot  the  bolts,  and  lighting  his  bedroom 
candle,  slowly  and  thoughtfully  betook  himself  to 
his  chamber. 

Kingsland's  knowledge  of  the  mysterious  letter 
only  served  to  increase  the  Secretary's  suspicions 
of  that  young  officer's  complicity  with  Darcy, 
while  the  letter  itself  presented  such  a  bewilder- 
ing variety  of  contradictory  possibilities,  that  his 
mind  was  dazed.  A  further  consideration  of  his 
past  experiences  in  this  matter  did  not  make  him 
feel  any  the  easier,  and  for  the  first  time,  under 
the  spur  of  doubt  and  mistrust,  he  recalled  Kings- 
land's  story  of  the  reception  of  the  missive,  and 
subjected  it  to  a  critical  analysis.  Mr.  Riddle  had 
said,  and  the  Lieutenant  had  confirmed,  that  the 
letter  had  been  handed  by  the  former  to  the  latter 
at  the  Hyde  Park  Club,  and  that  the  Lieutenant 
was  then  "  leaving  the  room."  Yet  the  Secretary, 
now  he  came  to  think  of  it,  was  sure  Mr.  Riddle 
had  not  been  of  the  company  at  or  after  dinner, 
and  that  Kingsland  had  not  left  the  drawing-room 
or  attempted  to  do  so.  Moreover,  if  Riddle  had 

given  him  the  money  for  the  stamp,  why  had  he 

201 


202  Parlous  Times 

not  mentioned  the  fact  at  the  time  ?  The  letter 
was  evidently  of  importance,  and  intended  for 
Darcy,  a  man  of  whose  every  action,  he  had  the 
greatest  distrust.  Yet  the  important  missive,  after 
being  lost  for  three  days,  was  given  by  its  owner 
to  Miss  Fitzgerald,  who  thought  so  little  of  it,  that 
she  used  the  envelope  to  scribble  an  address  on, 
before  giving  it  to  the  Colonel,  who  now  had  lost 
it  under  the  secret  door. 

It  was  certainly  a  mystery  to  which  he  was 
unable  to  offer  any  solution,  but  which,  never- 
theless, caused  him  a  vague  uneasiness.  He  drew 
up  an  arm-chair  beside  the  table,  and  lighting  his 
lamp,  prepared  to  seek  distraction  in  a  book. 

The  Secretary  had  scarcely  settled  to  his  read- 
ing, however,  when  he  was  startled  by  a  sharp 
click  against  his  window.  At  first  he  thought 
nothing  of  it,  but  at  a  repetition  of  the  noise, 
plainly  produced  by  a  pebble  thrown  up  against 
the  glass,  he  opened  the  casement  and  looked 
out. 

The  night  was  very  dark,  and  he  could  see 
nothing;  but  out  of  the  blackness  below  him 
came  a  voice,  which  he  thought  he  recognised, 
calling  his  name  softly. 

"  Why,  John  !  "  he  cried,  scarcely  believing  it 
could  be  the  Legation  factotum.  "  What  on  earth 
are  you  doing  here  at  this  time  of  night?  " 

"  Special  message  from  'is  h*  Excellency,  sir," 
came  in  the  familiar  cockney  of  the  messenger, 
with  the  added  caution,  "don't  speak  so  loud, 
please — it's  that  private " 


A  Midnight  Message  203 

Stanley  nodded,  quite  oblivious  of  the  fact  that 
he  was  invisible,  and  added  in  lowered  tones  : 

"  Go  round  to  the  front,  and  I'll  come  down  and 
let  you  in." 

He  cautiously  made  his  way  downstairs,  pausing 
at  every  creaking  board  in  fear  that  he  had 
awakened  the  household,  and  traversing  the  long 
hall,  opened  the  great  front  door,  and  admitted 
the  shivering  John  ;  for  the  night  was  cool,  and 
several  hours  of  watching  and  waiting  had  chilled 
the  messenger  thoroughly. 

"  How  long  have  you  been  out  there?  " 

"  Since  ten,  sir." 

"  Good  Heavens !  and  it's  past  midnight !  Come 
up  to  my  room,  and  I'll  give  you  some  whiskey." 

"  Thank  ye,  sir.  I  shan't  mind  a  drop — it's 
that  cold,  but  I'll  take  off  me  boots  first." 

"  Take  off  your  boots  !  " 

"  'Is  h' Excellency  was  most  par-ti'cler,  sir,  as 
no  one  but  you  should  know  as  I  was  'ere." 

"  Oh,  I  see.  Very  well.  Leave  them  at  the 
foot  of  the  stairs.  You'll  find  these  flags  rather 
cold  for  stocking-feet." 

A  few  minutes  later  John  was  installed  in  the 
Secretary's  bedroom,  and  his  inner  man  was 
being  warmed  and  refreshed  with  a  copious  dram 
of  whiskey — while  Stanley,  seated  at  his  table, 
was  breaking  the  seals  of  the  despatch  which  the 
messenger  had  brought  him. 

"  It's  most  secret,  sir." 

"  Quite  so.  How  did  you  know  which  was  my 
room?  " 


204  Parlous  Times. 

"  The  lady  of  the  'ouse,  sir,  employs  the  hinn- 
keeper's  daughter  to  'elp  the  'ousekeeper  day 
times  —  and  so  - 

"  I  see  ;  very  clever,  John.     Eh  !  what's  this  ?  ' 
and  bending  forward  to  the  light  he  read  the  now 
opened  dispatch.     It  was  short  and  to  the  point. 

"  Dear  Mr.  Stanley,"  wrote  the  Minister. 
"  This  is  to  inform  you  that  we  have  discovered 
the  silent  partner  in  the  firm,  who  is  the  chief 
instrument  in  putting  up  the  money  to  defeat 
the  treaty.  His  name  is  Arthur  Riddle.  He  is  a 
guest  of  your  hostess,  and  should  be  watched. 
Darcy  left  for  Sussex  this  afternoon,  presumably 
for  your  neighbourhood.  Kindly  report  progress, 
if  any,  sending  letter  by  John,  who  should  return 
at  once. 

"  Yours,  etc. 


As  the  full  force  of  this  communication  became 
apparent  to  the  unfortunate  Secretary,  he  sunk 
back  in  his  chair,  groaning  in  an  agony  of  mor- 
tification. 

"  Dear,  dear,  sir  !  "  cried  John,  who  had  been 
meditatively  regarding  the  bottom  of  his  empty 
glass.  "You  don't  mean  to  tell  me  as  they've 
got  away." 

The  messenger,  it  may  be  remarked,  not  being 
supposed,  technically,  to  know  any  official  se- 
crets, knew  more  than  most  of  his  superiors. 

"  Oh,  it  isn't  that,  it's  a  thousand  times  worse 


A  Midnight  Message  205 

than  that !  I'm  such  an  infernal  fool !  John, 
I've  had  those  instructions  in  my  possession." 

"  You  have ! "  cried  the  messenger,  much  ex- 
cited. 

"  Yes.  Had  them  for  three  days  in  the  inside 
pocket  of  my  dress-suit,  and  being  the  greatest 
idiot  in  the  diplomatic  service,  I  never  even  sus- 
pected what  they  were,  and  gave  them  back  to 
the  man  who  wrote  them." 

"  What,  Riddle  ?  " 

Stanley  groaned,  and  bowed  his  head. 

"  Dear,  dear,"  said  John,  gravely,  "I'm  afraid 
it's  a  bad  business,  sir."  And  noticing  that  the 
Secretary  was  absorbed  in  his  own  woes,  he  judged 
it  a  favourable  opportunity  to  replenish  his  glass, 
which  he  thoughtfully  consumed,  while  the  unfor- 
tunate diplomat  poured  out  to  the  old  messenger, 
who  was  distinctly  the  deus  ex  machina  of  his 
Legation,  and  who  had  helped  him  out  of  many 
a  tight  place  in  the  past,  the  story  of  the  letter. 
How  he  had  received  it,  how  he  had  been  induced 
to  give  it  up,  and  finally  how  it  reached  its  pres- 
ent destination. 

"Well,"  he  said  despairingly,  in  conclusion, 
"what  do  you  think,  John?" 

"  Hit's  hall  the  woman,  sir.  Take  my  word  for 
hit,  hit's  hall  the  woman,"  replied  that  function- 
ary, with  dignity. 

"  What,  Miss  Fitzgerald  ?  " 

John  nodded,  with  the  solemnity  befitting  so 
weighty  a  dictum. 

"  You  old  idiot !  "  cried  Stanley.     "  It's  nothing 


2o6  Parlous  Times 

of  the  sort.  Miss  Fitzgerald's  share  in  this  matter 
was  merely  a  coincidence." 

"  Didn't  you  tell  me  has  it  was  she  suggested 
your  taking  han  hold  letter  to  keep  score  hon, 
knowing  well  you  'ad  the  letter  in  your  hinside 
pocket  hall  the  time?" 

"  Nonsense  !  "  exclaimed  the  Secretary.  "  How 
could  she  have  known  anything  about  it  ?  She 
had  never  laid  eyes  on  the  letter  till  I  produced 
it." 

"  Mr.  Stanley,"  returned  the  messenger,  with  a 
dignity  against  which  the  two  glasses  he  had  con- 
sumed struggled  unsuccessfully,  "  hTve  fostered 
young  gentlemen,  an'  got  h'em  hout  hof  scrapes, 
an1  taught  h'em  their  ha,  b,  c's  of  diplomacy,  afore 
you  was  weaned,  han'  I  knows  whereof  h'l  speaks, 
h'l  tells  yer,  hit's  the  woman ! " 

"  I  wish  you'd  get  me  out  of  this  scrape.  I'd 
be  your  friend  for  life." 

"That's  heasy  enough.  You  must  get  the 
letter." 

"  But  how— I  tell  you " 

"  Get  it,"  reiterated  the  messenger,  whose  pota- 
tions had  made  him  optimistic.  "  Blow  this  bally 
hold  barn  into  the  next  county,  hif  need  be,  but 
open  that  door  and  get  it." 

The  Secretary  looked  despairingly  at  the  des- 
patch, and  tossing  it  to  John,  said : 

"  And  what  am  I  to  answer  to  this  ?  " 

"  HTll  answer  it,  hif  you'll  let  me  come  to  the 
table." 

"You!" 


A  Midnight  Message.  207 

"Yes — and  you  can  copy  and  sign  it.  Hit 
won't  be  the  first  private  note  hTve  hanswered, 
or  the  first  despatch  hTve  written,  neither,"  and 
with  this  rebuke  he  composed  the  following : 

"To 

"His  Excellency, 

"The  Honourable, 


"  SIR  :— 

"  I  have  the  honour  to  acknowledge  your  Ex- 
cellency's private  despatch  of  the  2Oth  inst.,  and 
to  inform  you  in  reply  that  the  person  men- 
tioned in  it  is  now  a  guest  in  this  house,  also 
that  I  have  discovered  the  present  location  of 
the  papers  desired,  and  hope  soon  to  be  able  to 
place  them  in  your  hands. 
"  I  am,  Sir, 

"  Your  obedient  servant, 


"  Sunday,  12.45  A-  M-" 

The  Secretary  read  and  approved,  and  in  a  few 
moments  had  produced  a  copy  of  the  same,  which 
was  duly  signed  and  sealed. 

"  And  now,"  he  said,  "  you  must  be  off.  There's 
a  train  to  London  about  six." 

"  Yes,  sir.     Hit's  a  very  cold  night,  sir." 

"  No,  you've  had  enough,  and  you  need  to  keep 
your  wits  about  you,"  and  he  led  the  way  down- 
stairs. 

"  John,"  he  said,  as  he  let  the  faithful  servitor 
out,  "  I  believe  you're  right  in  what  you  said." 


2o8  Parlous  Times 

"  Habout  the  woman,  sir?" 

"  Of  course  not.  I  tell  you  the  lady  knows 
nothing  whatever  of  the  matter ;  pray  disabuse 
your  mind  of  that  absurd  idea,  once  and  for  all. 
I  mean  about  the  letter." 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  I've  got  to  get  it  again,  John.  Send  me  the 
best  book  you  can  find  on  combination  locks.  I 
will  get  it !  Impossibilities  don't  count !  " 

"Yes,  sir.  Good-night,  sir,  and  remember, 
hit's  the  woman!" 


CHAPTER  XX 

THE  WISDOM  OF  AGE 

THE  Secretary  passed  one  of  the  worst  nights 
of  his  life.  His  pride,  self-esteem,  and  youthful 
estimation  of  his  abilities  as  a  diplomat  had  re- 
ceived a  crushing  blow.  He  told  himself  that  he 
was  not  fit  to  copy  letters  in  an  office,  much  less 
to  undertake  delicate  negotiations  in  which  the 
honour  of  his  country  was  involved.  The  con- 
spirators had  known  him  for  what  he  was,  a  con- 
ceited young  ass,  and  had  egregiously  fooled  him 
to  the  top  of  his  bent.  They  had  regained  the 
document  without  half  trying ;  even  Kingsland, 
whose  intellect  he  had  looked  down  on,  had  com- 
pletely taken  him  in.  It  seemed  as  if  he  must  die 
of  shame  when  it  became  known.  He  would  be 
disgraced  and  turned  out  of  the  service  with  ridi- 
cule. Then  of  his  despair  was  born  that  resolu- 
tion to  do,  which  sets  all  obstacles  at  naught,  and 
succeeds  because  it  declares  the  possibility  of  the 
impossible. 

He  must  retrieve  himself,  he  must  regain  that 
letter,  and  hereafter  his  self-reproaches  were  min- 
gled with  every  scheme  leading  to  its  recovery, 
that  his  brain  could  concoct. 

He  was  downstairs  soon  after  seven. 
14  209 


2io  Parlous  Times 

Entering  the  great  hall,  he  found  Lady  Isabelle 
in  sole  possession,  but  equipped  to  go  out. 

"  Whither  so  early  ?  "  he  said. 

"  I'm  going  away — that  is — out." 

"  Away  ?  "  he  queried,  as  he  saw  her  eyes  fill 
with  tears,  and  noted  that  she  was  closely  veiled. 
"  Can  I  serve  you  ?  " 

"  No — yes,"  she  replied,  uncertain  how  to 
answer  him.  "  Could  I  ask  you  to  do  me  a  very 
great  favour  ?  " 

"  Most  certainly." 

"  But  it's  something  you  won't  like  to  do." 

"  Lady  Isabelle,"  he  said  quietly,  "  we've  been 
very  good  friends,  and  I  may  tell  you  that  I've  a 
suspicion  of  what  you  intend  to  do  this  morning. 
Won't  you  trust  me,  and  allow  me  to  help  you  in 
any  way  in  my  power  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  after  a  moment's  hesitation. 
"  I  will,  because  I'm  sure  you  mean  what  you  say, 
and  I'm  in  desperate  straits.  You  remember  the 
answer  I  gave  to  a  question  of  yours  last  evening  ?  " 

"  That  you  did  not  care  for  me — yes." 

"  I  might  have  added,"  she  said  shyly,  casting 
down  her  eyes,  "  that  I  cared  for  someone  else." 
i    "  Lieutenant  Kingsland  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"Are  you  sure  you're  making  a  wise  choice, 
Lady  Isabelle  ?  "  he  asked,  feeling  that  he  ought 
not  to  allow  this  state  of  affairs  to  continue  when 
he  was  almost  certain  that  the  young  officer  was 
practically  a  criminal,  whom  it  might  be  his  duty 
to  have  arrested  any  day,  yet  prevented  by  his 


The  Wisdom  of  Age  211 

instructions  from  preferring  any  charges  against 
him  to  Lady  Isabelle. 

"  Don't,  please,"  she  said.  "  You  misjudge 
him." 

"  I  hope  I  do." 

"  You  do  not  understand.  How  should  you  ? 
Have  you  ever  seen  him  in  his  uniform  ?  He  is 
a  picture,  and  you  know,"  sinking  her  voice,  "  his 
family  dates  from  the  Conquest." 

The  Secretary  shrugged  his  shoulders.  He'd 
had  enough  of  warning  people  for  their  own  good, 
so  he  contented  himself  with  remarking  that  a 
disregard  for  the  Decalogue  seemed  compatible 
with  an  unbroken  descent  from  the  Norman 
robber. 

"  Now  you're  cynical,"  she  cried,  "  but  I  shan't 
argue  with  you,  for  I  love  him,  and  we're  to  be 
married  this  morning  in  the  chapel.  Everything 
has  been  arranged,  and  in  fifteen  minutes  I  shall 
be  his  wife." 

"  That's  very  interesting,"  said  Stanley.  "  But 
where  do  I  come  in  ?  " 

"  I  need  your  help." 

"Oh,  I  see.  I  suppose  that  if  I'd  any  real 
interest  in  your  welfare,  I  ought  to  refuse,  but  as 
you'd  do  as  you  please  in  any  event,  I'm  quite  at 
your  service." 

"  Thanks.  Mamma  will  be  here  presently. 
She's  announced  her  intention  of  attending  early 

service,  and  if  she  does " 

i     "  She  might  interrupt  another,  and  that  would 
be  awkward." 


212  Parlous  Times 

"  Dreadfully.  She  does  not  wish  me  to  marry 
Lieutenant  Kingsland — I  think  she  would  rather 
I  married  you." 

"  Is  she  so  bitter  ?  Well,  make  your  own  mind 
easy.  I  won't  ask  her." 

"  But  you  must." 

"  What ! ! !  " 

"  Nothing  short  of  a  proposal  would  deter  her 
from  going  to  service." 

"  But,  I  thought  you !  " 

"  Oh,  I'll  promise  to  be  unavailable  by  the  time 
you've  finished. — Sh  !  she's  coming.  Remember 
your  promise  to  help  me,  and  wish  me  luck." 

"  With  all  my  heart,"  he  cried,  as  she  vanished 
through  the  door,  and  the  Dowager  entered  the 
hall. 

Stanley  wished  the  old  lady  good-morning, 
which  she  received  with  chilling  condescension, 
and  neither  of  them  spoke  for  some  moments ;  a 
precious  gain  of  time,  during  which  her  Ladyship 
put  on  her  gloves,  rearranged  her  cloak,  unrolled 
and  re-rolled  her  sunshade,  paced  the  long  hall, 
alternated  glimpses  out  of  the  windows  by  glances 
up  the  great  stainvay,  and  betrayed  every  sign  of 
impatient  waiting  for  a  tardy  companion.  The 
Secretary  stood  watching  her  and  counting  the 
minutes,  which  seemed  to  pass  unusually  slowly. 

Finally  the  Dowager's  patience  got  the  better 
of  her  reserve  ;  she  faced  round  and  demanded  if 
he  had  seen  her  daughter. 

"  Yes,"  he  replied,  very  deliberately.  "  I  believe 
she  was  in  the  hall  when  I  came  down." 


The  Wisdom  of  Age  213 

"  Believe.     Do  you  not  know,  Mr.  Stanley  ?  " 

"  I  certainly  caught  a  glimpse  of  her,"  he  ad- 
mitted. 

"  But  she's  not  here  now." 

The  Secretary  made  a  careful  inspection,  from 
his  point  of  vantage  on  the  hearthstone,  of  every 
cobweb  and  corner  of  the  great  apartment,  and  in 
the  end  found  himself  forced  to  agree  with  the 
Marchioness'  statement. 

"  Where  has  she  gone,  then  ? "  was  her  next 
question. 

"  Really,"  he  replied,  "  it  is  not  your  daughter's 
custom  to  keep  me  posted  as  to  her  movements." 

"  But  you've  eyes,  haven't  you  ?  "  she  retorted, 
testily.  "  At  least  you  know  how  she  left  this 
hall." 

The  Secretary  sighed  as  he  saw  the  end  of  his 
little  manreuvre. 

"  She  went  out  at  the  front  door,"  he  said. 

"  Why  couldn't  you  have  told  me  that  to  begin 
with?" 

"  You  didn't  ask  me." 

"  Don't  be  so  distressingly  literal.  I'm  late  for 
the  service  as  it  is.  My  daughter  has  probably 
misunderstood  our  arrangements,  and  is  waiting 
for  me  at  the  church."  And  the  Marchioness 
showed  unmistakable  signs  of  preparing  to 
leave. 

Even  allowing  a  most  liberal  leeway  to  the 
maundering  old  parson,  Stanley  knew  he  could 
not  yet  have  reached  that  passage  beginning,  "  All 
ye  that  are  married,"  and  ending  in  "amaze- 


214  Parlous  Times 

merit,"  for  which  there  is  a  canonical  time-allow- 
ance of  at  least  five  minutes ;  it  therefore  behoved 
him  to  play  his  last  trump. 

The  Dowager,  like  a  hen  preening  her  feathers, 
had  given  the  last  touches  to  her  garments,  and 
was  already  half-way  to  the  door,  when  the  Secre- 
tary, stepping  forward,  arrested  her  progress  by 
remarking : 

"  I  feel  that  I  owe  you  some  explanation  of 
what  occurred  last  night,  Lady  Port-Arthur." 

"  Perhaps  it's  as  well  that  you  should  explain," 
she  replied,  pausing  at  the  door, "  though  I  should 
have  supposed  it  would  have  been  unnecessary 
after  our  last  interview." 

"I've  not  forgotten  it." 

"  You  appeared  to  have  done  so  last  evening." 

"  Really,  you  know,"  he  said,  piqued  by  her 
rudeness,  "  I  couldn't  refuse  to  escort  your 
daughter  down  to  dinner  when  my  hostess  re- 
quested me  to  do  so." 

"  If  Mrs.  Roberts  so  honoured  you  as  to  permit 
you  to  take  in  Lady  Isabelle,  naturally " 

"  Yes,  that  is  the  way  I  should  have  put  it." 

"  I  do  not  pretend  to  say  how  you  should  have 
expressed  yourself,  but  I  wish  to  point  out  that 
your  place  at  dinner  was  no  excuse  for  your  place 
afterwards." 

"  Oh,  in  the  conservatory.  Well,  you  see,  the 
fact  is,  I  was  telling  Lady  Isabelle — 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Stanley.  What  were  you  telling  my 
daughter?" 

He  glanced  at  the  clock.     Seven  minutes  had 


.:•'"•.",".  ,        The  Wisdom  of  Age  215 

elapsed  since  the  Dowager  entered  the  hall.  He 
hoped  they  would  shorten  the  service. 

"  I  was  asking  her  a  question,"  he  continued. 

"  Well  ?  " 

The  Dowager  was  far  below  zero. 

"  I  asked  her  if  she  cared  for  me." 

"  And  she  naturally  referred  you  to  her  mother." 

"  She  told  me  a  few  minutes  ago  that  you  were 
coming  here,"  he  replied,  noticing  that  his  com- 
panion's mercury  was  rapidly  rising. 

"  I'm  glad,"  continued  the  Marchioness,  "  that 
you've  taken  so  early  an  opportunity  to  ex- 
plain what  I  could  only  consider  as  very  singular 
conduct.  For  dear  Isabelle's  sake  I'll  consent  to 
overlook  what  has  occurred  in  the  past,  and  if  you 
can  make  suitable  provision " 

Five  minutes  only  remained  before  the  time  of 
early  service.  He  thought  his  income  large  enough 
to  fill  the  interval,  and  interrupted  with  : 

"The  woman  I  marry  would  have ,"  and 

then  he  told  the  Dowager  all  about  it,  in  sterling 
and  decimal  currency. 

"  I  think,"  said  that  lady,  with  a  sigh  of  relief 
at  the  end  of  his  narration,  which,  it  may  be 
remarked,  took  the  best  part  of  half  an  hour,  "  I 
think  dear  Isabelle's  happiness  should  outweigh 
any  social  disparity,  and  that  we  may  consider  her 
as  good  as  married." 

"  Yes,"  he  replied,  remembering  that  the  church 
bells  had  stopped  ringing  some  fifteen  minutes  be- 
fore. "  Yes,  your  Ladyship,  I  think  we  may." 


216  Parlous  Times 

A  few  minutes  later  Stanley  found  himself  in 
one  of  the  secluded  stretches  of  the  park,  breath- 
ing in  the  fresh  keen  morning  air  with  a  new  sense 
of  delight,  after  the  inherent  stuffiness  of  the 
Dowager. 

He  trusted  that  Lady  Isabelle  would  break  the 
news  to  her  mother  at  once,  and  get  it  over  before 
he  returned  ;  but  even  then  he  had  an  unpleasant 
interview  before  him.  As  an  accepted  suitor  the 
Marchioness  would  owe  him  an  apology,  which  he 
could  not  avoid  accepting.  He  hoped  he  could 
do  the  heart-broken  and  disappointed  lover,  whose 
feelings  were  tempered  by  the  calm  repression  of 
high  gentility.  It  was  the  role  he  had  figured  for 
himself,  and  he  thought  it  excellent. 

All  his  ideas,  however,  were  centred  on  the 
problem  of  recovering  the  lost  document ;  some 
means  of  entry  to  that  secret  tower  there  must  be, 
and  he  must  find  it.  He  could  not,  of  course,  be 
certain  that  the  paper  contained  Darcy's  instruc- 
tions ;  but  it  was  admittedly  important,  and  its 
loss  had  done  him  an  injury  which  could  only  be 
atoned  for  by  its  recovery. 

A  light  footfall  interrupted  his  meditations,  and 
looking  up,  he  saw,  standing  before  him,  half 
screened  by  the  bushes  which  she  was  holding 
back,  to  give  her  free  access  to  the  main  path 
which  he  was  pursuing,  the  graceful  figure  and 
sad,  sweet  face  of  Madame  Darcy. 

A  shade  of  annoyance  passed  over  his  brow  as 
he  remembered  the  scene  of  the  night  before,  and 
his  companion  was  quick  to  interpret  his  mood. 


The  Wisdom  of  Age  217 

"  Ah,  Mr.  Stanley,"  she  said,  "  you've  seen  my 
husband." 

"Yes,"  he  admitted.  "  He  came  up  to  the  Hall 
last  night." 

"  I  hope  he  didn't  make  himself  a  nuisance," 
she  said. 

"  Well,  I'm  afraid  he  did  rather,"  he  returned, 
and  added,  "  but  it's  nothing,"  for  he  felt  that  it 
would  be  impossible  for  him  to  tell  her  what  had 
really  occurred. 

"  I'm  so  sorry,"  she  cried.  "  I  only  bring  you 
trouble." 

"  No,  indeed,"  he  hastened  to  assure  her,  "  far 
from  it.  These  little  talks  with  you  are  a  positive 
rest  and  refreshment  to  me.  I  hate  this  playing 
the  spy." 

41 1  suppose  it  won't  do  for  me  to  ask  how  you're 
progressing,  and  what  you've  found  out  ?  " 

"  I've  found  out  that  I've  made  an  awful  fool 
of  myself,"  he  said.  "  Mr.  Riddle " 

"  I  could  have  told  you  who  Mr.  Riddle  was 
yesterday,"  she  said. 

The  Secretary  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  I'm  afraid  that  would  have  been  of  little 
use." 

"  Be  very  careful,"  she  warned  him.  "  There 
are  others  besides  Mr.  Riddle  whom  you  have  to 
look  out  for." 

Could  it  be  possible,  he  asked  himself,  that  she 
suspected  her  husband  ?  Aloud,  he  said  : 

"  Whom  do  you  mean  ?  " 

She  shrugged  her  shoulders. 


218  Parlous  Times 

"  It's  not  for  me  to  belie  my  own  sex,"  she  re- 
torted, "but " 

"  You  mean  there  is  a  woman  in  the  case  ?  " 

She  nodded. 

The  Secretary  drew  himself  up  very  stiffly. 

"  It's  an  impossibility  that  we  will  not  discuss," 
he  said.  "  Your  prejudices  mislead  you." 

Yet,  in  spite  of  his  apparent  calmness,  he  was 
greatly  disturbed,  for  this  was  the  second  time 
that  day  that  doubt  had  been  cast  upon  Miss 
Fitzgerald. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

THE  RESOURCES  OF  DIPLOMACY 

DETERMINED  to  drive  these  unjust  suspicions 
from  his  mind,  the  Secretary  turned  the  conver- 
sation into  other  channels,  and  spent  a  most  de- 
lightful hour  in  the  park  with  Madame  Darcy,  in 
which  they  came  to  understand  each  other  mar- 
vellously well.  Prompted  by  that  subtle  instinct 
which  invariably  suggests  to  the  feminine  mind 
the  proper  course  with  a  man  she  cares  to  impress, 
she  relegated  her  own  woes  to  the  uncertain  fu- 
ture, and  led  the  conversation  into  reminiscences 
of  their  common  country.  So  time  fled  by  un- 
noticed, till  Stanley  had  arrived  at  the  dangerous 
point  of  wondering  why  fate  had  not  ordained  his 
life  differently  before  she  had  married  that  brute, 
or  he  had — no,  no,  he  did  not  mean  that !  He 
was  a  very  lucky  dog,  and  Belle  was  much  too 
good  for  him — and,  in  short,  he  must  go  back  to 
the  Hall. 

To  this,  however,  his  fair  companion  strongly 
objected.  She  was  lonely,  she  wished  to  be  di- 
verted. His  time  was  his  own.  Considering  that 
he  was  partially  engaged  to  two  ladies,  the  Secre- 
tary felt  this  statement  admitted  of  qualifications. 

Besides,  they  were  at  the   entrance  of  the  farm- 

219 


220  Parlous  Times 

house  where  she  was  staying — it  was  a  most  ideal 
spot — he  must  step  in  and  see  it. 

But  his  reasons  were  of  a  more  solid  nature,  and 
he  laughingly  confided  to  her  that  his  wish  to  depart 
arose  not  from  a  desire  to  avoid  her  society,  but 
from  the  fact  that  he  had,  as  yet,  had  no  break- 
fast. 

"  But  it  is  my  own  case,"  she  cried  with  a  ring- 
ing laugh.  "  I'm  starving,  actually  starving — it  is 
a  most  droll  coincidence." 

Stanley  assured  her  he  would  not  detain  her  a 
moment  longer,  but  this  was  equally  repugnant  to 
his  hostess'  views  of  hospitality.  She  declared 
that  a  breakfast  for  one  was  a  breakfast  for  two ; 
if  not,  more  should  be  ordered.  Her  appetite  was 
that  of  a  bird  ;  the  repast  was  humble,  but  it  was 
a  sin  to  go  without  sampling  the  housewife's  eggs 
and  cream — there  were  none  so  good  at  the  Hall, 
she  was  sure. 

The  Secretary  told  her  that  he  could  not  dream 
of  staying,  and  found  himself  within  five  minutes 
ensconced  at  Madame  Darcy's  table. 

No  liquids,  other  than  fresh  milk  and  pure 
spring  water  were  served  at  this  repast,  yet  Stanley 
arose  fully  assured  that  they  were  the  most  in- 
toxicating beverages  he  had  ever  tasted,  and  be- 
took himself  Hall-wards  towards  noon,  through  a 
maze  of  black  eyes,  and  dazzling  flashes  of  beauty, 
his  brain  vibrating  with  a  voice,  whose  tones  were 
the  poetry  of  sound. 

A  vision  of  the  Dowager  Marchioness  of  Port 
Arthur,  placidly  seated  on  the  lawn,  under  a  green 


The  Resources  of  Diplomacy      221 

umbrella,  with  a  book  in  her  lap,  and  evidently  on 
the  borderland  of  sleeping  and  waking,  brought 
him  to  earth  once  more. 

It  would  be  better  to  interrupt  her  matutinal 
slumbers,  and  get  one  of  his  two  dreaded  inter- 
views over.  She  looked  rather  too  composed,  he 
thought,  for  a  disappointed  mother,  and  he  was 
sure  she  would  be  that,  did  she  know  the  truth. 
He  coughed  discreetly,  and  approached,  slowly 
enough  to  permit  her  Ladyship  to  quite  recover 
her  senses,  before  he  arrived  by  her  side. 

It  would  not  do  to  appear  too  downcast  before 
being  informed  of  the  hopelessness  of  his  suit,  so 
putting  on  his  best  society  manner,  and  reflecting 
that  an  adversary  disconcerted  is  an  adversary  at 
a  disadvantage,  he  asked,  as  if  it  were  quite  the 
most  ordinary  of  questions : 

"  How  beautiful  are  your  feet — Lady  Port 
Arthur?" 

"  Dear  me,  young  man  ! "  exclaimed  her  Lady- 
ship, now  thoroughly  awake,  "  they've  always  been 
considered  beautiful ;  but  why  should  you  ask?  " 

"  My  reference  was  scriptural,  purely  scriptural, 
I  assure  you — I  was  referring  to  the  feet  of  the  mes- 
sengers upon  the  mountains,  who  bring  good 
tidings.  You'll  find  it  in  Isaiah.  Are  you  one 
of  them  ?  " 

"  There  are  no  mountains  in  Sussex,  and  the 
rising  generation  knows  entirely  too  much," 
snapped  out  the  Dowager.  "  As  for  you — I've 
conferred  with  my  daughter 

She  has  told  her,  thought  the  Secretary,  prepar- 


222  Parlous  Times 

ing  to  draw  down  his  mouth  to  the  requisite 
expression  of  woe. 

" — And  it  gives  me  great  happiness  to  tell 

you "  she  continued,  beaming  on  Stanley  in 

spite  of  his  flippancy,  at  which  that  gentleman 
drew  down  his  mouth  in  good  earnest,  as  he 
realised  that  she  was  still  undeceived. 

" — It  gives  me  great  happiness  to  tell  you,  that 
I  believe  your  suit  will  have  a  favourable  termina- 
tion. She  has  promised  to  consider  it." 

"  Oh,"  said  the  Secretary ;  and  then,  recollect- 
ing himself,  added : 

"  It's  very  good  of  her,  I'm  sure." 

If  he  had  the  opportunity,  after  lunch,  he  men- 
tally determined  to  give  Lady  Isabelle  a  piece  of 
his  mind. 

"  It's  an  honest  soul,"  continued  her  Ladyship, 
not  noticing  the  interruption,  "  which  refuses  the 
promptings  of  her  heart.  Her  hesitancy  is  quite 
natural,  I  assure  you,  and  most  becoming.  When 

his  Lordship  asked  the  honour  of  my  hand " 

The  Dowager  sighed  at  the  sweetness  of  reminis- 
cence, and  again  took  up  the  thread  of  her  dis- 
course. 

"  My  daughter  told  me  that  she  could  not,  with- 
out reflection,  be  certain  of  the  state  of  her  affec- 
tions. Make  allowance  for  her,  Mr.  Stanley,  she 
is  very  young.  Believe  me,  I  should  not  speak 
as  I  do,  were  it  not  for  the  fact  that  I  have  known 
the  world  well — in  my  youthful  days — though  this 
you  would  scarcely  believe,  I  dare  say — I  was  one 
of  the  acknowledged  leaders  of  the  court." 


The  Resources  of  Diplomacy      223 

"  Your  Ladyship's  wit  and  beauty  are  a  bye- 
word  in  all  good  society,  and  one  has  only  to  see 
you,  to  realise  that  they  have  been  enhanced  by 
the  added  grace  of  years,"  murmured  the  Secre- 
tary, doing  his  prettiest. 

"  You're  a  deceitful  diplomat,  and  I  don't  be- 
lieve you,"  said  the  Dowager,  giggling  and  pre- 
tending to  be  very  angry,  but  vastly  pleased,  none 
the  less;  and,  giving  him  a  flabby  pat  with  one  of 
her  expansive  hands,  she  continued : 

"  You  must  not  be  downhearted,  however ; 
leave  everything  to  me." 

The  Secretary  assured  her  that  he  felt  quite 
safe  to  trust  his  heart  in  the  keeping  of  one  who 
had  held  the  custody  of  so  many,  and  was  re- 
warded for  his  flattery  by  a  further  proof  of  the 
Dowager's  confidence. 

"  Take  my  advice,  dear  James "  she  began  ; 

but  Stanley  felt  this  was  a  step  too  far,  and 
hastened  to  put  himself  on  the  defensive. 

"  That  is  not  my  name,  Lady  Port  Arthur,"  he 
said,  quietly. 

"But  surely,"  she  continued,  pressing  her  point, 
"  your  friends  call  you  by  a  disrespectful  contrac- 
tion of  it." 

"Jim?"  he  asked,  laughing.  "Oh,  that's 
because  my  Christian  name  is  quite  unfitted  for 
ordinary  usage — it's  only  brought  out  on  state 
occasions." 

"  May  I  inquire  what  it  is  ?  " 

"  Aloysius." 

"  Dear  me,  no,  I  don't  think  I  could  call  you 


224  Parlous  Times 

that ;  but  as  I  was  saying,  if  you  take  my  advice 
you'll  see  as  little  as  possible  of  Isabelle  to-day. 
Leave  her  to  herself ;  it's  far  wiser." 

The  Secretary  felt  decidedly  relieved. 

"  I  quite  agree  with  you,"  he  replied.  "  You 
may  depend  on  my  following  your  advice  to  the 
letter,"  and  he  turned  towards  the  house. 

"  One  point  more,"  she  said,  detaining  him  with 
a  gesture,  "  I  strongly  disapprove  of  secret  engage- 
ments. I  don't  wish  the  insinuations  made  against 
my  daughter  that  one  hears  about  that  impudent 
young  minx,  Miss  Fitzgerald. — Why,  they  act- 
ually hinted  that  she  was  engaged  to  you ! " 

"  Dear  me !     Did  they?"  murmured  Stanley. 

"  If  there  is  the  happy  issue  that  we  both  wish, 
I  should  desire  that  our  friends  here,  if  not  society 
in  general,  should  know  it  immediately." 

"  My  dear  lady,"  said  the  Secretary  im- 
pressively, "  the  moment  that  your  daughter  tells 
you  definitely  that  she  accepts  my  offer  of  mar- 
riage, you  may  announce  it  to  the  whole  world  ; 
till  that  time,  however,  I  must  insist,  that  for  her 
sake  as  well  as  mine,  you  be  most  discreet,"  and 
he  bowed  himself  from  her  presence. 

The  Marchioness  sank  back  in  her  chair  with  a 
sigh  of  placid  contentment.  Her  work  in  life  was, 
she  believed,  on  the  eve  of  successful  accomplish- 
ment, and  that  most  agonising  period  to  a  mother — 
the  time  from  her  daughter's  coming  out  to  that 
young  lady's  engagement — was  safely  over.  On 
the  whole  her  child  had  behaved  unusually  well ; 
but  of  late  she  had  suffered  some  inquietude  of 


The  Resources  of  Diplomacy      225 

spirit,  owing  to  the  attentions  of  Kingsland, 
whom  she,  in  common  with  all  mothers  of  the 
social  world,  listed  as  belonging  to  the  most  dan- 
gerous and  formidable  class  of  youths  that  a  girl, 
who  has  any  pretensions  to  being  a  partie,  can 
encounter. 

In  the  case  of  the  Lieutenant,  however,  Lady 
Port  Arthur  flattered  herself  that  she  had  nipped 
matters  in  the  bud,  by  the  best  of  all  cures  for  a 
romantic,  impossible  lover,  i.e.  a  prospective  hus- 
band. True,  Mr.  Stanley  was  not  of  noble  family, 
she  feared  his  people  might  even  be  called  com- 
mercial ;  but  he  was  eminently  safe,  and  possessed 
of  a  substantial  income  wherewith  to  support  the 
glories  of  the  noble  name  of  Port  Arthur.  In 
short,  he  was  an  admirable  solution  of  the  diffi- 
culty. 

The  Marchioness  felt  she  was  justified  in  taking 
forty  winks,  and  did  so. 

Luncheon  rather  amused  the  Secretary  than 
otherwise.  He  obeyed  the  Dowager's  instructions 
to  the  letter,  sat  as  far  from  Lady  Isabelle  as 
possible,  and  by  the  caprice  of  fate,  found  himself 
next  to  Miss  Fitzgerald,  who,  with  admirable  fore- 
sight, treated  him  exactly  as  if  nothing  had  hap- 
pened, and  that  being  half  engaged  to  a  man  was 
the  normal  state  of  her  existence.  This  put  Stanley 
quite  at  his  ease,  and  even  Belle's  fictitious  claim 
on  his  services  for  the  afternoon,  based  on  her 
unsupported  declaration  that  he  had  asked  her  to 
drive  with  him  in  the  pony  cart  at  four,  a  propo- 
sition he  would  never  have  dreamed  of  making, 


226  Parlous  Times 

was  accepted  by  him  as  a  matter  of  course.  A 
proceeding  which  elicited  an  expansive  smile  from 
the  Dowager,  who  considered  it  a  deep-laid  diplo- 
matic plot,  in  furtherance  of  her  suggested  plan 
of  campaign. 

The  Secretary's  attention  was,  however,  mainly 
directed  to  Kingsland  and  Lady  Isabelle,  who  sat 
side  by  side  at  table,  and  who  acted,  in  his  opinion, 
like  a  pair  of  fools,  till  it  seemed  as  if  everyone 
present  must  guess  the  true  state  of  affairs.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  no  one  did,  and  Stanley,  seeing 
this,  was  once  more  reassured;  for  he  did  not 
wish  to  play  his  little  part  to  more  of  an  audience 
than  was  absolutely  necessary. 

Mr.  Riddle,  towards  whom  the  Secretary,  in 
view  of  the  night's  disclosures,  felt  even  a  stronger 
antipathy,  was  in  high  spirits,  until  he  was  silenced 
by  Mrs.  Roberts,  who  assured  the  company  that 
she  had  caught  him  in  the  act  of  aiding  and  abet- 
ting the  cottager's  children  to  make  mud  pies  in 
the  public  highway. 

"  I  really  couldn't  help  it,"  he  said,  excusing 
himself  shamefacedly,  "  the  dear  little  things  were 
pining  for  some  one  to  play  with,  and  we  did  have 
such  fun —  and  got  so  grubby ; "  and  there  was  such 
a  genuine  ring  of  honest  pleasure  in  his  tones, 
that  Stanley  again  found  cause  to  wonder  which 
was  the  true  man. 

Something  like  an  hour  later,  the  Secretary 
emerged  on  the  driveway,  to  find  the  pony  cart 
and  Belle,  got  up  in  faultless  style;  and  as  he 
looked  on  the  technical  mistress  of  his  heart,  she 


The  Resources  of  Diplomacy      227 

seemed  so  exceedingly  fair  and  gracious,  that  his 
morbid  imaginings  vanished  away  like  smoke, 
under  the  spell  of  her  presence. 

"  I'm  afraid  you'll  be  very  angry  with  me,"  she 
said,  apologetically ;  "  but  when  I  proposed  our 
drive  this  afternoon,  I'd  quite  forgotten  a  promise 
I  made  to  Mr.  Lambert  to  go  and  see  a  poor,  sick, 
old  woman,  a  parishioner  of  his." 

"  Then  I  suppose  the  drive  is  off?  " 

"  Not  at  all,  if  you'll  be  a  dear,  good,  self-sacri- 
ficing Jimsy,  and  do  what  you're  told." 

"  What's  that  ?" 

"  Just  jump  into  the  cart  and  take  it  round  to 
the  north  gate — it's  a  couple  of  miles  I  know — 
but  I'll  walk  straight  across  the  fields,  make  my 
visit,  and  be  at  our  rendezvous  almost  as  soon  as 
you  are.  I'll  promise  not  to  keep  you  waiting 
over  ten  minutes  at  the  longest.  Will  you  do  it  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  if  I  may  solace  myself  with  a  cigar 
while  I  wait." 

"  Two,  if  you  like  ;  but  you  won't  have  time  to 
smoke  them.  Now  off  you  go,"  and  waving  her 
hand  to  him,  she  watched  him  disappear  round 
the  corner  of  the  house. 

Once  he  was  out  of  sight,  Miss  Fitzgerald  lost 
no  time  in  producing,  from  the  mysterious  recesses 
of  her  pocket,  a  telegram,  the  delivery  of  which 
she  had  intercepted,  which  she  surveyed  long  and 
critically. 

A  telegram  is  generally  regarded  as  best  serving 
its  purpose  when  most  promptly  delivered ;  but 
in  the  case  of  this  message,  Miss  Fitzgerald  evi- 


228  Parlous  Times 

dently  felt  it  would  improve  by  keeping,  for  it 
had  arrived  during  the  morning,  and  was  now 
some  hours  old.  The  time  had  come,  however, 
when  it  should  be  delivered  to  its  proper  owner, 
and  she  accordingly  went  in  search  of  Lieutenant 
Kingsland. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

A  LITTLE  COMMISSION 

LADY  ISABELLE  and  Lieutenant  Kingsland  sat 
on  the  lawn  before  the  old  manor  house  in  the 
soft  glow  of  an  English  afternoon,  contemplating 
the  inevitable.  In  this  case  the  inevitable  was 
represented  by  the  Dowager,  who  was  enjoying  a 
peaceful  nap  not  fifty  feet  away.  Only  fifty  feet 
of  faultlessly-kept  turf  separated  them  from  the 
vials  of  a  mother's  wrath ;  and  in  spite  of  their 
supreme  happiness  of  the  morning,  they  felt  the 
presence  of  this  gathering  storm  which  must  now 
be  faced — as  soon  as  the  Marchioness  awoke — 
for  to  wake  her  would  put  her  in  a  bad  temper, 
and  her  rage  promised  to  be  violent  enough  with- 
out any  external  irritants. 

But  it  happened  that  while  the  Dowager  slum- 
bered, Miss  Fitzgerald,  slipping  around  the 
corner  of  the  house,  appeared  in  the  background, 
and  signalling  to  the  Lieutenant  to  come  to  her, 
where  they  could  talk  without  awakening  the 
Marchioness,  gave  him  his  telegram.  He  read  its 
contents  once,  twice,  and  a  third  time,  word  by 
word,  gave  a  sigh  of  unutterable  relief,  and  then 
laughed  joyously. 

"  Good   news,  apparently,"    commented    Miss 

Fitzgerald. 

229 


230  Parlous  Times 

"  The  best,"  he  replied.  "  A  crusty  old  rela- 
tive, who  is  no  good  to  anybody,  lies  dying  in  the 
north  of  England,  and  for  some  unknown  reason 
has  made  me  his  heir — I  must  leave  at  once  to 
see  him  out  of  this  world  in  proper  style — but  it 
means  I'm  a  rich  man." 

"  I'm  ever  so  glad.  Must  you  start  to- 
day ?  " 

"  I  shall  go  up  to  London  this  afternoon,  and 
on  to-morrow." 

"  You'll  spend  the  night  in  town,  then  ?  " 

"  Yes.  I  must  go  to  my  bank  and  draw  some 
funds  for  my  journey." 

"  Then  you  can  do  me  a  favour." 

"  A  thousand,  if  you  want  them,  after  what 
you've  done  for  me." 

"  Will  you  oblige  me  by  taking  charge  of 
several  chests  of  Mr.  Riddle's  stereopticon  views ; 
they're  heavy,  but  fragile  and  very  valuable,  and 
I've  promised  him  I'd  find  some  one  to  take  them 
up  to  town  for  him,  and  put  them  in  safe  keeping. 
Where  do  you  bank  ?  " 

"  Bank  of  England,  Victoria  Street  branch." 

"  Will  you  leave  it  in  their  charge  subject  to 
my  order?" 

"  Certainly.     How  many  cases  ?  " 

"  Five,  and  they're  rather  heavy." 

"  All  right.  Have  the  chests  put  in  the  lug- 
gage cart,  and  I'll  look  out  for  them.  Now  I 
must  tell  my — why,  it's  Kent-Lauriston  ! "  and 
to  their  mutual  astonishment,  they  beheld  that 
gentleman  standing  close  beside  them. 


A  Little  Commission  231 

"  Good  afternoon,"  he  said.  "You  didn't  ex- 
pect to  see  me  ?  I  wired  Mrs.  Roberts." 

"  I  know  my  aunt  will  be  delighted,"  said  Miss 
Fitzgerald.  "  Won't  you  come  into  the  house  ?  " 
and  she  led  the  way,  calling  back  to  the  Lieuten- 
ant :  "  I'll  see  they're  ready.  Thank  you  so 
much." 

Once  in  the  hall,  she  wasted  no  time  over  the 
unexpected,  and  to  her  unwelcome,  guest,  but, 
consigning  him  to  the  butler,  sped  away  to  give 
directions  as  to  the  disposition  of  the  chests,  and 
was  soon  scurrying  across  the  park  to  join  the 
patient  Secretary,  who  had  had  ample  opportunity 
to  smoke  his  two  cigars. 

The  Lieutenant  had  in  the  meantime  shown  his 
despatch  to  Lady  Isabelle,  whose  face  at  once 
assumed  an  expression  very  much  in  contrast  to 
that  of  her  liege  lord's ;  her  brows  contracted  in 
a  frown,  and  tears  sprang  to  her  eyes. 

"  Oh,  Jack !  "  she  cried.  "  You  won't  leave  me 
now — I  can't  spare  you.  Your  poor  uncle  Ben- 
jamin ! " 

"  But  you  don't  understand  !  "  he  cried.  "  You 
don't  see  what  it  means !  The  Steward  writes 
that  I'll  inherit  his  property,  and  that  I  should 
come  and  protect  my  interests." 

"  But  he's  not  dead  yet — only  very  ill,"  she 
argued,  seeing  the  possibilities  ahead — yet  hoping 
against  hope  to  win  her  husband  from  his  better 
judgment. 

"  It's  the  same  thing — they  wouldn't  have  tele- 
graphed for  me  if  it  wasn't  the  end." 


232  Parlous  Times 

"But  it's  so  far  off — nearly  to  the  Scottish 
border." 

"  That's  all  the  more  reason  for  hurrying.  I 
must  take  the  first  train  for  London." 

"  And  leave  me !  " 

"  My  darling,  you  must  be  brave,  you  must  be 
sensible.  If  I  inherit  my  uncle's  property,  I  shall 
be  a  rich  man,  and  your  mother's  scruples  will  be 
removed.  It's  vital  that  I  should  lose  no  chances 
— it  means  everything  to  us." 

"  But  is  there  any  danger  of  your  doing  so — 
doesn't  the  telegram  expressly  state  that  he  means 
to  make  you  his  heir?" 

"  Yes,  yes,  but  there  are  other  relatives  as  near 
as  I.  They'll  all  be  there,  and  if  they  suspect  I'm 
chosen,  will  try  and  get  him,  at  the  last,  to  turn 
against  me." 

"  But  why  should  you  be  chosen  ?  " 

"  Pure  cussedness,  I  think,  coupled  with  the 
fact  that  I've  never  troubled  myself  to  be 
even  civil  to  him.  His  other  relatives  have  spent 
their  time  in  fawning  about  him,  and  he  has  seen 
through  it,  and  led  them  a  lively  dance  in  conse- 
quence. He  lived  in  a  beastly  old  hole  of  a  place 
— dull  as  the  water  in  his  own  moat.  I  was  sent 
there  as  a  boy,  and  when  he  tried  to  cane  me  for 
stealing  his  fruit,  I  pelted  him  with  apples.  Since 
I've  been  old  enough  to  consult  my  own  inclina- 
tions, I  have  entirely  ignored  him.  I  never  sup- 
posed he'd  leave  me  a  penny,  and  I  wouldn't  have 
let  him  lead  me  a  dog's  life  for  it,  if  I  had.  Now 


A  Little  Commission  233 

that  he  has  done  so  to  spite  the  rest,  I  shall  pro- 
tect my  own  interests,  never  fear." 

"  But  you'll  tell  mamma  before  you  go  ?  " 

"  Most  certainly  not,"  replied  the  Lieutenant, 
glad  of  any  valid  excuse  for  putting  off  what 
promised  to  be  a  rather  trying  interview.  "  I 
should  have  to  go  at  once  in  any  event,  and  I 
certainly  couldn't  leave  you  to  face  your  mother's 
wrath  alone ;  besides,  now  I  come  to  think  of  it, 
your  late  father  was  one  of  uncle's  pet  detesta- 
tions, politically,  and  if  a  rumour  of  my  secret 
marriage  were  to  reach  him  before  the  end,  it 
would  be  all  up  with  my  prospects,  and  you  can 
easily  see  what  splendid  capital  it  would  be  for 
his  precious  relatives." 

"  But  mamma  might  be  trusted  ?  "  queried  Lady 
Isabelle,  feeling  that  she  was  venturing  on  unten- 
able ground. 

"  Those  who  don't  know  won't  tell ;  besides, 
my  position  will  be  much  stronger  as  the  heir  in 
possession  than  the  heir  prospective.  Now  I 
must  be  off  to  make  my  excuses  to  Mrs.  Roberts, 
and  to  pack  up  my  belongings,  or  some  of  them, 
for  I  don't  expect  to  be  gone  more  than  two  or 
three  days  at  the  most,  and  till  then  everything 
depends  on  keeping  the  secret." 

"  But,  Mr.  Stanley,"  she  expostulated. 

"  Oh,  pshaw !     I  forgot  him." 

"  But  we  mustn't  forget  him.  You  know  we 
promised  him  that  we  would  tell  at  once." 

"  Circumstances  alter  cases.  You  must  arrange 
it  between  you  somehow.  You  can  stave  off  the 


234  Parlous  Times 

evil  day  with  your  mother.  Say  you  need  time  to 
think  it  over." 

"  You  don't  know  mamma  as  well  as  I  do, 
Jack." 

"  Then  refuse  absolutely." 

"  She'd  take  me  away  at  once,  abroad  perhaps. 
She's  made  up  her  mind  to  this  match." 

"  You  must  hold  it  off  and  on,  that  is  all  there 
is  about  it.  Let  her  think  you  are  going  to  con- 
sent, but  that  you  mustn't  be  hurried." 

"  But  think  of  Mr.  Stanley's  position.  How 
would  you  feel  in  his  place  ?  " 

"  Now,  what's  the  use  of  arguing  supposititious 
cases  when  I'm  pressed  for  time?  Stanley  has 
accepted  the  position,  and  he  must  make  the  best 
of  it." 

"  But  if  he's  afraid  Miss  Fitzgerald  may  learn 
of  his  proposal  to  me,  and  misunderstand." 

"  Not  much  danger  of  that,  as  she  saw  you 
married  this  morning." 

"  But  Mr.  Stanley  doesn't  know  that  Miss 
Fitzgerald  was  present  at  our  wedding.  Now,  if 
I  could  tell  him  so " 

"  Um !  "  murmured  the  Lieutenant  thought- 
fully. "  On  the  whole,  I  don't  think  I  would. 
It  wouldn't  be  quite  fair  to  Belle." 

"To  Miss  Fitzgerald ?" 

"  To  Miss  Fitzgerald.  At  least  you  must  gain 
her  consent  first." 

"  But  why  should  she  object?  " 

"Well,  to  speak  quite  frankly,  her  own  position 
in  the  matter  was  open  to  question.  You  see,  she 


A  Little  Commission  235 

had  some  difficulty  in  arranging  the  private  mar- 
riage, and,  out  of  friendship  to  me,  she  did  and 
said  certain  things  of  which  an  over-conscientious 
person,  like  our  friend  the  Secretary,  might  dis- 
approve." 

"  Jack  !  "  she  cried,  frightened.  "  Tell  me  the 
truth.  Swear  to  me  that  our  marriage  was  a  true 
marriage — was  legal." 

"  I  swear  it,  my  darling.  Hadn't  you  the  special 
licence  to  prove  it  ?  My  remarks  only  referred  to 
the  means  she  used  to  induce  the  parson  to  keep 
his  mouth  shut.  Not  discreditable  at  all,  you 
understand,  and  some  day,  when  I'm  at  liberty  to 
explain  it,  you'll  see — but  we  owe  it  to  her  to 
keep  quiet  about  the  whole  affair." 

"  I  don't  like  it,  dear — it  doesn't  sound  honest." 

"  Well,  I  can't  help  it.  It  is  all  fair  and  square 
as  far  as  you  are  concerned,  and  if  you  like 
you  may  tell  Miss  Fitzgerald  all  about  Stan- 
ley's position,  so  that  he  can't  injure  himself  in 
her  eyes.  But  to  him  you  must  say  nothing 
without  her  consent — absolutely  nothing." 

"  But  this  does  not  settle  the  matter  of  the  en- 
gagement." 

"  You  must  manage  that  as  best  you  can. 
Stanley  can't  really  be  engaged  to  you,  because 
you  are  a  married  woman  ;  and  Belle  can't  be 
jealous  if  she  knows  the  truth." 

"  But  poor  Mr.  Stanley — consider  his  feelings — 
how  needlessly  you  are  making  him  suffer.  He'll 
think  that  Miss  Fitzgerald  will  never  forgive  him." 

"  And   a   good  thing,  too,  for  he's  treated  her 


236  Parlous  Times 

very  badly ;  he  deserves  to  be  made  uncomfort- 
able." 

"  What  has  he  done  ?  " 

"  Never  mind.  It's  not  a  story  for  polite 
society.  But  he'll  deserve  all  he  gets,  take  my 
word  for  it.  Now  run  along  to  the  library  and 
see  if  you  can  find  our  place  in  that  old  black  letter 
book  of  the  '  Lives  of  the  Saints.'  It'll  be  posi- 
tively necessary  for  me  to  look  up  a  reference  or 
two  before  starting,  to  fortify  myself  for  my 
journey ;"  and  so  saying  he  entered  the  house, 
feeling  that  in  giving  Belle  the  whip  hand  over  the 
Secretary,  he  had  more  than  compensated  her  for 
all  she  had  done  for  him.  But  Lieutenant  Kings- 
land  was  destined  to  find  out  that  a  whip — espe- 
cially one  with  so  long  a  lash — is  apt  to  be  a 
dangerous  instrument  in  unqualified  hands,  and 
may  even  include  the  giver  in  its  whistling  sting. 

Something  over  an  hour  later,  the  Lieutenant 
having  been  duly  fortified,  and  dispatched  on  his 
journey,  Lady  Isabelle  found  herself  closeted  with 
her  mother  in  the  midst  of  a  most  trying  scene. 
The  Dowager  had  placed  before  her  the  manifest 
advantages  of  a  union  with  the  young  diplomat, 
and  her  daughter,  incautiously  following  her  hus- 
band's short-sighted  advice,  had  not  only  seemed 
to  acquiesce  in  favour  of  the  suit,  but  had  even 
overdone  the  part,  in  the  hopes  of  thereby  induc- 
ing such  amiability  in  her  mother,  as  would  lead 
her  to  be  lenient  concerning  the  final  decision. 
The  result  of  this  was  that  Lady  Isabelle  had  not, 
figuratively  speaking,  left  herself  a  leg  to  stand 


A  Little  Commission  237 

on,  and  having  admitted  all  her  mother's  argu- 
ments with  a  complaisance  which  could  only  argue 
their  ultimate  acceptance,  came  to  a  standstill 
the  moment  a  definite  answer  was  demanded.  She 
agreed  to  all  her  mother  said,  but  could  not  of 
herself  say  yes — or  no. 

Lady  Port  Arthur  could  only  attribute  her 
daughter's  hesitation  to  one  of  two  reasons,  either 
maidenly  modesty  which  prevented  her  acceding 
to  her  requests — "  A  most  becoming  motive,  my 
dear  " — the  Dowager  assured  her — "  and  one  that 
does  you  infinite  credit,  but  which,  in  this  instance, 

must  give  way  to  my  superior  wisdom,  or  else ." 

Here  the  Marchioness  expressed  herself  with  a 
heat  and  bitterness  which  it  would  be  hardly  fair 
to  put  on  record  for  cool  and  sober  reading ;  re- 
ferring to  an  "  inherited  obstinacy,"  which  she 
assured  her  daughter  had  come  direct  from  the 
late  Lord  Port  Arthur,  and  had  led  to  a  certain 
amount  of  friction  in  her  marital  life,  and  conclud- 
ing by  remarking  that — "  this  (obstinacy)  I  have 
determined  to  nip  in  the  bud,  and  crush  out  with 
a  stern  hand." 

She  therefore  requested  an  immediate  answer. 
Lady  Isabelle,  not  being  of  a  strong  nature,  nor 
daring  to  brave  her  mother's  wrath  by  a  direct 
refusal,  and  feeling  the  impossibility  of  assent, 
replied  that  she  had  nothing  further  to  say.  This 
equivocal  position  proved  to  be  most  disastrous — 
for  it  left  her  mother  free  to  lay  down  the  law, 
which  she  proceeded  to  do. 

"  If,"  she  said,  "  your  refusal  to  answer  is  due 


238  Parlous  Times 

to  a  foolish  access  of  modesty,  I  shall  reply  in  the 
affirmative  for  you,  and  Mr.  Stanley  will  see  the 
propriety  of  your  attitude,  and  will,  I  am  sure, 
excuse  its  apparent  childishness.  If,  on  the  other 
hand,  your  motive  is  due  to  obstinacy,  I  consider 
myself  privileged  to  interfere  in  order  to  save  you 
from  the  results  of  your  own  foolishness,  and  I 
shall  still  accept  for  you.  Should  you  so  far 
forget  yourself  as  to  oppose  my  wishes,  I  shall  feel 
that  seclusion  and  rigorous  measures  will  be  neces- 
sary— we  will  leave  to-morrow  for  a  six  months' 
course  of  mud  baths  in  Northern  Bavaria,  which 
will  be  highly  beneficial  to  me,  and  will  give  you 
ample  time  for  reflection  on  the  sins  of  undutiful- 
ness  and  obstinate  pride." 

The  Dowager  paused  to  watch  the  effect  of  her 
threat.  It  was  all  she  could  have  desired. 

Lady  Isabelle  knew  Snollenbad  by  reputation  ; 
knew  that  it  was  a  stuffy,  dull,  German,  provincial 
town  ;  loathed  mud  baths  ;  longed  for  the  gaieties 
of  the  world  as  a  girl  longs  who  has  only  had  one 
season ;  and,  worst  of  all,  realised  that  the  settle- 
ment of  estates  and  the  limitations  of  leave  would 
make  it  a  six  months'  exile  from  her  husband. 
She  hesitated,  and  the  Dowager,  relying  on  the 
proverb,  felt  that  she  had  won. 

"  Give  me  half  an  hour  to  consider,"  she  asked. 

"  There  is  nothing  to  consider,"  replied  her 
mother.  "  You  know  what  my  course  of  action 
will  be ;  the  future  will  depend  on  yours ;  but  you 
had  better  retire  to  your  room  and  think  matters 
over ;  "  and  she  dismissed  her  with  a  gesture. 


A  Little  Commission  239 

In  spite  of  her  words,  however,  the  Dowager 
did  not  feel  perfectly  secure,  and  determined  to 
clinch  matters  in  a  manner  which,  had  her  daugh- 
ter suspected  it,  would  have  moved  even  that 
vacillating  nature  to  rebellion.  As  it  was,  Lady 
Isabelle  contemplated  a  confession  to  Stanley  on 
his  return  from  the  drive,  in  direct  disobedience 
to  her  husband's  commands  ;  which,  at  the  eleventh 
hour,  would  have  sealed  her  mother's  lips  by  ap- 
prising her  of  the  truth.  But  fate  ordained  other- 
wise, and  the  Secretary  and  Miss  Fitzgerald  were 
disgracefully  late ;  giving  them  barely  time  to  rush 
to  their  rooms,  hurry  into  evening  clothes,  and 
appear  in  the  drawing-room,  flushed  and  breathless 
as  the  butler  announced  dinner. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

FORTY  THOUSAND  POUNDS 

As  the  Secretary  sat  in  the  governess'  cart  fin- 
ishing his  second  cigar,  he  reflected  that  if  he  had 
any  strength  of  character  he  would  never  have 
lent  his  aid  in  countenancing  a  secret  marriage 
between  one  of  his  best  friends,  and  a  man,  who, 
he  believed,  could  be  proved  guilty  of  something 
very  nearly  approaching  treason  to  the  Sovereign 
whose  uniform  he  wore ;  nor,  for  tha  matter, 
would  he  be  waiting  for  a  girl  who  had  insulted 
him  by  her  suspicions  of  the  evening  before,  and 
who  had  capped  the  climax  by  taking  the  refusal 
of  him  at  her  own  valuation. 

However,  his  reflections  were  cut  short  by  the 
appearance  of  Miss  Fitzgerald  herself,  who  had 
not  hurried  so  much  as  to  be  flushed  or  out  of 
breath,  and  who  had  arrived  with  the  fixed  inten- 
tion of  keeping  the  Secretary  away  from  the  Hall 
during  the  entire  afternoon. 

"  I'm  awfully  sorry  to  have  kept  you  waiting  so 
long,"  she  said,  mounting  to  the  seat  which  faced 
him,  he  driving  under  her  direction.  "  But  you 
shall  have  your  reward — for  I've  two  bits  of  good 

news  for  you." 
240 


Forty  Thousand  Pounds  241 

"  That's  encouraging,"  he  replied,  praying  in- 
wardly that  one  of  them  was  the  announcement  of 
Lady  Isabelle's  marriage. 

"In  the  first  place,  your  friend  Mr.  Kent-Laur- 
iston  has  arrived." 

The  Secretary's  face  did  not  express  any  excess 
of  joy. 

"  Won't  you  be  glad  to  see  him  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  Of  course,"  he  replied. 

"  He's  an  old  friend  of  yours  ?" 

"  My  oldest  in  England." 

"How  nice  that  he's  here ! "  she  said,  a  slight 
frown  clouding  her  brows.  "  His  coming  will 
mean  so  much  to  you." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Secretary  meditatively, "  I  don't 
know  how  much,"  and  there  was  silence  between 
them  for  a  while. 

"  And  your  second  piece  of  news  ?  "  he  asked 
suddenly,  recollecting  himself. 

"  Is,  that  your  pet  detestation  is  going  away." 

"  You  refer  to  Colonel  Darcy  ?  " 

She  nodded. 

"  Away  from  here  ?  " 

"  Away  from  England." 

"  Really." 

"  You  know  so  much  about  him,  I  thought  you 
might  have  heard  of  it." 

"  Where  is  he  going  ?  " 

"  Abroad  somewhere." 

"  Does  he  take  his  wife  with  him  ?  " 

She  laughed  light-heartedly,  as  though  relieved 
from  some  oppression. 
16 


242  Parlous  Times 

"  No.  I  fancy  not — in  fact  I  think  it  is  rather 
to  escape  her." 

"  Oh  !  "  he  said,  and  relapsed  into  silence.  Then 
suddenly  reverting  to  his  original  train  of  thought, 
which  Darcy's  name  suggested,  he  spoke  ab- 
ruptly : — 

"  Why  did  you  ask  me  to  drive  with  you  this 
afternoon  ?  " 

"  Because  I  wanted  to  talk  to  you — no,  I  didn't 
— I  wanted  you  to  talk  to  me." 

"  About  last  night  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  But  it's  impossible — if  you  can  believe !  " 

he  cried  hotly. 

"  What  Bob  said,  about  you  and  his  wife  ?  "  she 
interjected.  "  I  don't,  but  it  made  me  very  angry 
just  the  same.  You  see,  up  to  last  night,  you  had 
been  an  ideal  to  me.  Then  suddenly  you  pro- 
posed to  change  all  our  relations ;  and  just  at  that 
moment  Bob  came  in  and  made  those  charges, 
which,  though  untrue,  showed  me  how  very 
human  you  would  have  to  be  to  me  if  I 
accepted  you,  and  I  was  bitter  and  lost  my 
head." 

"  But  if  you  didn't  believe  them,  why  did  you 
refuse  to  give  me  a  definite  answer?" 

"  Because  you'd  brought  me  face  to  face  with 
new  conditions.  I  wanted  to  readjust  myself  to 
them." 

"  But  if  you  love  me Do  you  love  me?  " 

he  said  earnestly. 

"Yes,  Jim,"  she  replied,  with  a  quiet  serious- 


Forty  Thousand  Pounds  243 

ness  that  carried  conviction  to  him.  "  I  do  love 
you." 

"Really,  love  me?" 

"  Really,  more  than  I  have  loved  any  man — 
ever." 

"  But  then,  how  can  you  doubt  ?  "  and  he  turned 
impulsively  towards  her. 

"  You'd  better  keep  both  hands  on  the  reins — 
the  pony  is  only  just  broken.  As  I  was  saying — 
I  love  you — in  my  way — but  that's  not  all,  it's 
merely  the  beginning.  If  I  only  had  to  meet  you 
for  the  rest  of  our  lives  at  afternoon  tea  and  din- 
ner, and  we  had  on  our  best  clothes  and  our  com- 
pany manners,  there  would  be  no  question — but 
you  see  there  are  breakfasts  and  luncheons  to  be 
considered.  Suppose  after  our  honeymoon  was 
over  I  was  to  discover  that  you  wanted  to  live  at 
West  Hempstead,  or  dined  habitually  at  the  Na- 
tional Liberal  Club,  or  wore  ready-made  suits — it 
might  wreck  my  life's  happiness." 

Her  sincerity  had  disappeared,  and  her  change 
in  manner  grated  on  him.  He  was  certain  she 
did  not  mean  what  she  was  saying,  but  he  forced 
a  laugh  in  replying : — 

"  Diplomats  are  not  allowed  to  belong  to  polit- 
ical clubs,  in  the  first  place,"  he  said,  "  and  I've 
been  told  that  well-cut  clothes  may  be  met  with 
even  at  the  N.  L.  C.  Besides,  if  you  loved  me,  it 
wouldn't  really  matter." 

"  Ah  !  But  it  might,  and  that's  just  the  point. 
Either  I  love  you,  the  real,  imperfect,  human  you 
— and  nothing  else  counts — or  else  I  love  the 


244  Parlous  Times 

Secretary  of  the Legation,  in  a  frock  coat  or 

a  dress  suit,  and  everything  does  count.  I've  got 
to  determine  which.  My  feminine  intuition  will 
tell  me  that  in  an  instant  some  day,  and  then  I 
can  answer  you." 

"  Let  us  hope  that  your  feminine  intuition  will 
make  up  its  mind  to  act  quickly  then,  for  I  must 
be  getting  back  to  London  in  a  few  days." 

"  Why  ?  "  she  cried.     "  What  have  you  to  do  ?  " 

What  indeed,  when  the  canny  old  messenger  the 
night  before  had  told  him  that  this  beautiful  girl 
was  the  main  spring  of  the  conspiracy  he  was  here 
to  crush  ?  He  did  not  believe  that,  but  the  whole 
conversation  had  revolted  him — it  was  not  decent 
somehow  to  discuss  the  most  serious  things  of  life 
flippantly.  His  face  showed  his  feelings. 

She  was  quick  to  take  the  cue. 

"  I  doubt  if  you  really  know  yourself,"  she  con- 
tinued. "  Suppose  Madame  Darcy  were  unmar- 
ried— I  have  sometimes  thought " 

"  Suppose  the  impossible,"  he  interrupted. 
"Suppose  you  should  decide  to  drop  her  hus- 
band  " 

"I  wonder,"  she  said,  ignoring  his  petulant  out- 
burst, "  if  you  would  mind  my  asking  you  a  very 
frank  question  ?  " 

"  About  the  Colonel  ?  " 

"  Yes.  You  see  I've  been  thinking  a  good  deal 
of  what  you  said  the  other  night,  but  of  course 
one  can't  throw  over  old  friends  without  good 
cause — merely  for  marital  infelicity — there  are 
always  two  sides  to  those  stories,  you  know.  I 


Forty  Thousand  Pounds  245 

was  wondering  if  there  was  anything  else — any- 
thing about  him  which  you  knew  and  I  wouldn't 
be  likely  to — I've  sometimes  thought — that  per- 
haps  "  she  paused  and  looked  inquiringly  at 

him. 

The  Secretary  longed  to  tell  her  the  truth  ;  but 
remembering  his  Chief's  instructions,  and  chas- 
tened by  his  late  reverse,  hardened  his  heart. 

"  As  for  that,"  he  replied  guardedly,  "  he  doesn't 
bear  an  altogether  savoury  reputation  I've  under- 
stood, but  as  my  personal  knowledge  of  his  affairs 
dated  with  his  wife's  visit  to  me  two  or  three  days 
ago — my  information  is  comparatively  recent." 

She  smiled  contentedly,  and  changed  the  sub- 
ject, by  suggesting  that  they  should  get  out 
and  walk.  A  long  hill  was  before  them,  and  since 
from  the  construction  of  governess  carts  the  ten- 
dency of  an  up-grade  is  to  put  all  the  weight  at 
the  rear,  it  seemed  advisable  to  descend. 

"  To  give  the  pony  a  fighting  chance,"  as  the 
Secretary  suggested. 

Miss  Fitzgerald  complained  that  it  was  hot,  and, 
barring  the  fact  of  cruelty  to  animals,  a  nuisance 
to  have  to  climb  the  hill ;  saying  which,  she  took 
off  her  hat,  giving  an  unobstructed  view  of  her 
hair. 

If  there  is  any  excuse  for  the  fact  that  the 
Secretary  forgot  his  good  resolutions,  it  must  lie 
in  the  heart  of  the  reader,  who  perhaps  has  been 
young  some  time  himself,  and  had  the  exquisite 
pleasure  of  driving  during  a  long,  perfect  English 
afternoon,  through  glorious  wooded  lanes,  and 


246  Parlous  Times 

all  the  picturesque  antiquity  which  England  alone 
knows,  with  a  winsome  Irish  girl,  with  a  peaches- 
and-cream  complexion,  a  ravishing  laugh,  bewitch- 
ing blue  eyes,  and  golden  hair  loose  upon  her 
shoulders,  which  a  madcap  wind  whipped  in  his 
face. 

"  I  think  it's  glorious,"  said  Stanley,  reverting 
to  the  landscape,  a  little  later,  when  the  conversa- 
tion had  turned  to  less  serious  topics.  "  There's 
no  country  like  England — but  it's  comparable  to 
the  little  girl  of  the  nursery  rhyme — 

"  When  it  is  good,  it  is  very  very  good, 
And  when  it  is  bad,  it  is  horrid." 

"  I'm  glad  to  see  you  appreciate  it  at  its  true 
worth.  Isn't  this  scene  perfect — but  think  of  it 
in  a  November  fog,"  she  said. 

"  Think  of  those  people  wasting  their  afternoon 
on  the  lawn  at  the  Hall,  drinking  bitter  tea  and 
eating  heavy  cake." 

"  I  dare  say  some  of  them  are  above  those 
things,"  replied  Belle. 

"  Lady  Isabelle  and  the  Lieutenant  ?  "  queried 
the  Secretary. 

"  Lady  Isabelle  and  the  Lieutenant,"  she  ac- 
quiesced. "  I  wonder  if  there  is  really  anything 
serious  in  that  affair  ?  " 

She  said  this  to  probe  Stanley,  and,  as  a  result, 
she  put  him  on  his  guard. 

"  What  do  you  think  ?  "  he  asked  cautiously. 
"  I  imagine  the  Dowager  could  never  be  induced 
to  approve  of  it." 


Forty  Thousand  Pounds  247 

"  The  Marchioness  !  "  cried  Belle  scornfully,  as, 
having  reached  the  summit  of  the  hill  with  a  long, 
downward  slope  before  them,  they  remounted  into 
the  cart.  "  She  doesn't  count." 

"  Oh,  doesn't  she  ?  "  said  the  Secretary.  "  She 
counts  a  great  deal,  as  " — he  added  half  to  himself 
— "  I  ought  to  know." 

They  had  already  turned  homewards  and  were 
rattling  down  the  hill,  and  at  that  moment  they 
swung  at  top  speed  round  a  corner,  to  come  upon 
a  wrecked  luggage  cart,  which  blocked  the  whole 
road.  Without  hesitation,  Stanley  pulled  the 
pony  up  on  its  haunches,  bringing  them  to  a 
stop  with  a  tremendous  jerk,  within  three  feet 
of  the  obstacle ;  nearly  throwing  them  out,  and 
driving,  for  the  time  being,  all  thoughts  of  their 
interrupted  conversation  from  the  Secretary's 
head. 

"  Why,  Tim !  "  he  said,  recognising  the  driver 
as  one  of  Mrs.  Roberts'  servants.  "  You've  had 
a  spill ! " 

"  Axle  broke,  sir.  That's  what  it  is,  and  if  it 
hadn't  been  as  the  carrier  " — indicating  a  second 
cart  on  the  further  side — "  had  happened  to  come 
up  just  now,  I  don't  know  as  Mister  Kingsland 
would  have  got  his  luggage." 

"  Lieutenant — Kingsland — is  he  going  away  ?  " 

"Why,  didn't  you  know  that,  sir?  Called 
sudden  on  the  death  of  his  uncle — Miss  Fitzger- 
ald there — she " 

"  Don't  spend  all  the  afternoon  gossiping,  Tim," 
broke  in  that  young  lady,  sharply — "  but  attend  to 


248  Parlous  Times 

your  work.  Drive  round  somehow,  can't  you  ?  " — 
she  continued,  addressing  the  Secretary — "  or  we 
shall  be  late  for  dinner  ?  " 

"  Don't  you  see  it's  impossible  ?  Besides  I 
want  to  help  Tim." 

"  Nonsense,  turn  round  and  we'll  drive  back — 
some  other  way.  Tim  and  the  carrier  can  help 
themselves,"  she  cried  petulantly. 

"  I'm  not  so  sure  of  that,"  drawled  the  driver. 
"  Them  chests  are  powful  heavy — for  all  the  Lieu- 
tenant said  they  contained  glass  picture  slides — 
it's  more  like  lead." 

"  Mr.  Riddle's  slides,  eh  ?  "  said  Stanley,  jump- 
ing down,  despite  his  fair  companion's  remon- 
strances. "  Then  we  mustn't  let  Lieutenant  Kings- 
land  go  without  them  ;  "  and  he  seized  the  handle 
of  one  of  the  boxes,  and  pulling  it  off  the  partially 
overturned  cart,  dragged  it  along  the  road,  while 
Miss  Fitzgerald  sat  holding  the  pony,  and  biting 
her  lips  in  ill-disguised  vexation. 

"  Gad  !  They  are  heavy ! "  admitted  the 
Secretary,  as,  with  the  carrier's  help,  he  swung  it 
into  the  cart,  and  returned  for  another. 

Four  were  transported  safely,  but  in  lifting  the 
fifth  chest,  whose  cover  seemed  a  trifle  loose, 
Stanley  turned  his  foot  on  a  round  stone,  and 
losing  his  grip  on  the  handle,  the  chest  fell  to  the 
ground  bottom  side  up. 

"  No  great  harm  done,  we'll  hope,"  he  said, 
righting  it,  and  helping  the  carrier  to  lift  it  beside 
the  others. 

"  Why,  bless  me,"  ejaculated  that  official,  "  if 


Forty  Thousand  Pounds  249 

there  ain't  a  bran  new  sovereign  lying  in  the 
dust!" 

The  Secretary  regarded  it  critically,  and  plung- 
ing his  hands  into  his  trousers  pockets,  fished  out 
a  lot  of  loose  change,  which  he  examined  carefully, 
saying : 

"  I  must  have  dropped  it  in  bending  over  ; 
thank  you  for  finding  it.  There's  a  shilling  for 
your  trouble."  And  straightening  up,  he  realised 
that  Miss  Fitzgerald  was  regarding  him  intently. 

Half  an  hour  later  the  wreck  was  sufficiently 
cleared  for  them  to  resume  their  homeward  way. 

The  remainder  of  the  afternoon  was  not  a  suc- 
cess, including,  as  it  did,  a  drive  home  in  the  teeth 
of  a  wind  which  had  suddenly  sprung  up  ;  which, 
finding  them  hot  and  dusty,  left  them  at  their 
destination  cold  and  cross,  and  utterly  fagged  out ; 
Stanley  with  a  twinge  of  rheumatism,  devoutly 
hoping  that  Lady  Isabelle  had  got  it  over,  and  Miss 
Fitzgerald  with  a  splitting  headache,  realising 
that  she  had  lost  a  move  in  the  game. 

They  both  looked  forward  to  dinner  as  a  salve 
for  all  evils,  though  when  they  entered  the  draw- 
ing-room just  in  time  to  go  down,  they  were 
naturally  surprised,  Miss  Fitzgerald  at  being  com- 
mitted to  the  charge  of  Kent-Lauriston,  and  the 
Secretary  to  Lady  Isabelle — for  the  latter  of  which 
arrangements  the  Dowager  was  directly  responsi- 
ble— indeed,  she  had  held  an  interview  with  her 
hostess  a  few  minutes  before,  which  had  left  that 
lady  very  much  excited. 

As  soon  as  they  were  seated  at  table,  he  noticed 


250  Parlous  Times 

that  he  was  separated  from  Miss  Fitzgerald  as  far 
as  might  be,  so  he  lost  no  time  in  putting  Lady 
Isabelle  at  her  ease  by  engaging  her  in  conversa- 
tion. Knowing  what  he  did,  he  felt  that  to  give 
her  a  chance  to  talk  about  her  husband  would  be 
most  acceptable  to  her,  and  probably  useful  to 
him ;  so,  noting  his  absence,  he  told  her  of  acci- 
dentally hearing  of  his  departure. 

"  I  suppose,"  he  said,  "  that  as  he  was  carrying 
so  much  of  value,  he'll  stop  in  London  before 
going  north  ?  " 

"  Of  value,"  she  said.     "  I  do  not  understand." 

"  Why,  five  cases  of  stereopticon  slides  for  Mr. 
Riddle.  I  helped  the  carrier  to  reload  them,  and 
very  heavy  they  were." 

"  He  said  nothing  to  me  of  it,"  she  replied  ; 
"  but  he  certainly  is  going  to  stop  in  London  one 
night." 

"  I  wish  I'd  known,  I'd  have  asked  him  to  cash 
a  cheque  for  me.  It's  so  hard  to  do  that  sort  of 
thing  in  the  country,  and  I  imagine  we  bank  at 
the  same  place." 

"  He  banks  at  the  Victoria  Street  branch  of  the 
Bank  of  England.  I'm  sure  he  would  have  been 
glad  to  have  done  it  for  you." 

"  Thanks,  but  it  really  doesn't  matter,"  replied 
Stanley,  who,  having  thus  learned  the  probable 
destination  of  Mr.  Riddle's  chests  of  sovereigns, 
was  contented  to  change  the  subject,  saying :  "  I 
do  hope  that  the  Lieutenant  unburdened  his  soul 
to  your  mother  before  he  left." 

She  then  told  him  all  the  events  of  the  after- 


Forty  Thousand  Pounds  251 

noon,  even  the  interview  with  her  mother,  the 
whole  in  a  conversational  tone  of  voice.  The 
Secretary  sat  dazed  as  the  magnitude  of  what  he 
had  let  himself  in  for  dawned  upon  him ;  and 
her  Ladyship's  eager  explanations  and  apologies, 
which  presently  died  down  to  a  whisper,  as  there 
came  a  lull  in  the  conversation,  fell  unheeded  on 
his  ears.  Suddenly  he  became  intuitively  aware 
that  everyone  was  looking  at  him — no,  at  them. 
His  hostess  was  making  a  feeble  attempt  to  smile 
at  him  from  far  down  the  table — he  felt  a  horrible 
premonition  of  coming  catastrophe ;  he  looked 
at  Lady  Isabelle,  she  was  white  to  the  lips. 

"  My  friends,"  came  Mrs.  Roberts'  voice,  trem- 
bling a  little,  "  Lady  Port  Arthur  has  just  told 
me  some  interesting  news,  with  the  request  that  I 
would  transmit  it  to  you  all ;  so  I  am  going  to 
ask  you  to  drink  your  first  glass  of  champagne 
this  evening  in  honour  of  the  engagement  of  Lady 
Isabelle  McLane  and  Mr.  Aloysius  Stanley." 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

A  VERY  AWKWARD  PREDICAMENT 

HAD  Mrs.  Roberts'  interests  not  led  her  in  an- 
other direction,  she  must  have  felt  no  small  grati- 
fication at  the  effect  which  her  speech  produced. 
It  was  a  great  coup  for  any  hostess,  and  of  tre- 
mendous force,  because  absolutely  unexpected. 

A  number  of  guests  had  been  invited  for  this 
particular  evening  to  swell  the  party,  making  a 
dinner  of  sixteen,  and  it  was  delightful  to  witness 
the  manner  in  which  they  took  the  announcement. 
The  men  received  it  in  silence,  while  the  women 
broke  instantly  into  a  confused,  joyous  cackle  of 
exclamation,  surprise  and  curiosity. 

The  Dowager  was  the  person  who  probably  de- 
rived the  most  satisfaction  from  the  scene,  for  her 
work  was  over  and  she  could  survey  it  calmly ; 
but  Stanley,  though  the  table  and  the  guests 
whirled  before  his  eyes,  caught  some  lightning 
glimpses  of  various  expressions,  which  he  was 
destined  never  to  forget. 

He  saw  the  Marchioness'  satisfied  smile,  which 
said  as  plainly  as  words  could  :  "  There,  what  did 
I  tell  you  ?  You  see  how  successfully  I  have 
brought  about  this  affair."  He  caught  the  glance 

of  sympathy  which  his  hostess  shot  at  Miss  Fitz- 

252 


A  Very  Awkward  Predicament     253 

gerald,  and  he  caught  the  glance  of  vindictive 
rage  which  that  young  lady  bestowed  upon  him, 
though  he  did  not  see  the  smile  which  followed  it. 

It  needed  no  one  to  tell  Miss  Fitzgerald  that 
she  held  the  whip  now,  or  to  teach  her  how  to 
use  it.  Her  lover  should  smart  for  this. 

One  other  glimpse  the  Secretary  caught  in  that 
moment — a  disgusted  shrug  of  the  shoulders  from 
Kent-Lauriston,  and  this  latter  hurt  him  the  most 
keenly  of  all.  He  wondered  how  all  these  people 
could  be  so  stupid  as  not  to  see  the  ghastly  mis- 
take they  were  making,  the  awful  position  in 
which  they  were  placing  them  both  ;  and  then  he 
understood  that  Lady  Isabelle's  pallor  and  his 
own  flushed  face  might  as  easily  be  traced  to  nat- 
ural embarrassment  as  to  utter  confusion.  What 
a  shocking  complication — but  if  it  was  so  bad  for 
him,  what  must  it  be  for  her  ?  Thank  Heavens, 
he  was  not  to  blame  for  it — he  had  only  done 
what  she  had  asked  him.  What  would  people  say 
when  they  learned  the  truth  ?  What  would  Inez 
think — what — Good  Heavens  !  Why  were  all 
the  men  rising  from  their  seats?  He  must  rise 
too — to  drink  his  health.  He  felt  fairly  dazed 
from  agitation.  They  drained  their  glasses,  he 
drank  with  them.  The  champagne  served  to 
steady  him  ;  he  was  himself  once  more,  ready  to 
do  battle  for  his  honour  and  hers.  What  was  that 
they  were  saying — some  idiot  at  the  far  end  of 
the  table  was  crying  "  Speech — Speech  !  "  Stanley 
made  a  mental  note  that,  despite  laws  against 
duelling,  he'd  run  him  through  before  breakfast 


254  Parlous  Times 

to-morrow  morning,  or  know  the  reason  why. 
Now  all  the  others  were  taking  it  up,  every  one 
was  crying :  "  Speech !  Speech !  Speech !  "  Good 
Heavens,  what  could  he  say  !  Would  it  not  be 
better  to  stand  up  and  tell  the  truth  of  this  mis- 
erable matter  ?  One  look  at  the  bent  head  of  Lady 
Isabelle,  and  her  nervous  fingers  clutching  the 
tablecloth,  determined  his  course  of  action — he 
could  not  expose  her  to  the  criticism  of  this  table 
of  scandal-mongers.  She  sat  there,  almost  faint- 
ing, hanging  on  his  every  word ;  chivalry,  honour, 
manliness,  left  but  one  course  open — he  must 
sacrifice  himself  to  save  her.  The  future  would 
decide  itself — his  duty  lay  clear  before  him.  He 
saw  that  he  must  speak — and  that  he  must  by 
his  words  deceive  the  company,  and  yet  not 
compromise  either  her  or  himself.  He  raised  his 
hand  to  command  attention  ;  the  rest  sat  down — 
it  gave  him  thirty  seconds  for  reflection,  an  infin- 
itesimal amount  of  time  in  which  to  take  action, 
but  ample  space  in  which  to  take  thought :  then 
he  spoke : — 

"  My  friends : — 

"  You  have  just  done  us  the  honour  to  drink  a 
toast  to  our  united  happiness.  I  thank  you  for 
your  kind  intention.  Those  who  are  already 
married  have,  by  drinking  this  toast,  very  grace- 
fully assured  me  of  my  own  future  happiness,  and 
those  who  are  single  have  given  me  the  oppor- 
tunity to  express  a  hearty  wish  that  it  may  some 
day  be  my  privilege  to  drink  a  similar  toast  to 
them." 


A  Very  Awkward  Predicament      255 

Had  Mr.  Stanley  never  given  other  evidence  of 
his  fitness  for  a  diplomatic  career,  this  speech  alone 
would  have  conclusively  furnished  it.  He  resumed 
his  seat,  and  the  look  of  gratitude  which  his  com- 
panion gave  him  was  sufficient  reward. 

How  that  dinner  passed  off  the  Secretary 
never  knew.  It  was  a  horrible  nightmare,  and  it 
seemed  interminable ;  but  it  did  come  to  an  end 
at  last,  and  he  repaired  to  the  smoking-room 
where  even  a  worse  purgatory  awaited  him.  Kent- 
Lauriston  distinctly  avoided  him,  the  rest  evident- 
ly regarded  him  as  their  lawful  prey.  His  over- 
taxed nerves  were  beginning  to  give  way.  He 
laughed  hysterically,  threw  his  cigar  into  the  fire- 
place, and,  begging  to  be  excused,  left  the  room. 
A  burst  of  laughter  followed  him.  He  knew  what 
it  meant — every  action  of  his  must  henceforth  be 
misinterpreted. 

His  appearance  in  the  drawing-room  was  the 
signal  for  a  preparatory  giggle,  and  then  an,  only 
too  apparent,  ignoring  of  his  presence,  accompa- 
nied by  meaning  glances  towards  the  conservatory. 
He  took  the  hint,  and  went  in  that  direction,  to 
find  Lady  Isabelle  weeping  her  eyes  out  on  a 
divan. 

"There's  no  use  crying  over  spilt  milk,"  he 
said  to  her,  cheerfully ;  "  but  you  must  admit  it's 
a  deuce  of  a  mess." 

"  How  can  I  ever  sufficiently  thank  you, 
Mr.  Stanley  ?  "  she  exclaimed,  looking  up  at  him 
in  undisguised  admiration.  "You  were  splen- 
did," 


256  Parlous  Times 

"  Oh,  not  at  all — but  I'll  admit  your  mother's 
announcement  rather  staggered  me." 

"  I  tried  to  prepare  you." 

"  I'm  afraid  you  didn't  succeed,"  he  replied 
coldly,  for  he  felt  that  he  had  been  ill-used. 

"  I  assure  you,"  she  said,  "  if  I'd  had  the  remot- 
est idea  of  what  mamma  intended  doing,  I 
would  have  faced  all  possibilities  and  told  her  the 
truth,  rather  than  have  exposed  you  to  what  has 
occurred.  I  can  never,  never  forgive  myself  for  it." 

"  It  was  really  more  my  fault  than  yours.  I 
gave  your  mother  permission  to  announce  our  en- 
gagement whenever  you  gave  your  consent." 

"  I  never  gave  it ! "  she  cried. 

"  Of  course,"  he  continued,  "  I  never  supposed 
that  your  mother  would  so  far  forget  herself  as  to 
force  you." 

"  You  mustn't  be  too  hard  on  mamma." 

"  Under  the  circumstances  you  could  hardly  ex- 
pect me  to  be  lenient ;  I  think  we'  d  better  agree 
to  change  the  subject." 

She  bowed  silently. 

"  There's  one  thing,  however,  that  you  can  do 
to  help  me,"  he  continued. 

Lady  Isabelle  shivered  as  she  saw  the  approach 
of  the  dreaded  request,  and  asked : 

"  What  is  that  ?  " 

"  You  can  go  to  Miss  Fitzgerald  and  tell  her  the 
truth.  No  statement  of  mine,  unsupported  by 
you,  would  have  any  credence  in  her  ears  after 
what  has  parsed.  You're  the  only  person  whose 
word  can  rirht  me  in  her  estimation." 


A  Very  Awkward  Predicament      257 

"  Mr.  Stanley,"  she  replied  slowly,  and  with  evi- 
dent exertion,  "  I  cannot  tell  you  the  pain,  the 
chagrin,  which  it  gives  me  to  refuse  your  re- 
quest." 

"  You  won't  do  it !  "  he  cried,  utterly  amazed. 

"  I  can't  do  it." 

"  But  do  you  realise  the  position  in  which  you 
place  me  with  Miss  Fitzgerald  ? "  he  protested, 
unwilling  to  believe  his  ears. 

"  Perfectly — only  too  keenly,"  she  replied. 
"  The  knowledge  that  I've  wronged  you  in  her 
estimation  is  the  bitterest  part  of  the  whole  mat- 
ter. I  feel  it  much  more  than  my  own  position  in 
the  affair." 

"  And  knowing  this  you  can  still  refuse  to 
interfere  in  my  behalf,  when  a  word  from  you 
would  set  all  right." 

"  I  deeply  regret  it,  Mr.  Stanley,  but  I  must." 

He  stood  looking  at  her  for  a  moment  in  the 
deepest  scorn.  Had  he  sacrificed  himself  for  a 
woman  like  this  ? 

"  Don't  think  too  hardly  of  me,"  she  pleaded  ; 
"  believe  me,  I  have  reasons." 

"  I've  only  this  to  say,  Lady  Isabelle,"  he  replied 
coldly.  "  Until  you  absolve  me  from  the  unfortu- 
nate position  in  which  your  foolishness  and  weak- 
ness have  placed  me,  my  good  name,  my  honour, 
and  my  future  prospects  are  in  your  hands.  Your 
conscience  should  tell  you  how  far  you  have  the 
right  to  trifle  with  them,"  and  turning  on  his  heel 
he  left  the  conservatory. 

After  the  departure  of  the  Secretary,  Lady  Isa- 


258  Parlous  Times 

belle  lost  no  time  in  seeking  out  Miss  Fitzgerald, 
who  had  retired  to  her  chamber. 

To  pursue  a  woman  who  believes  that  you  have 
cruelly  wronged  her  was  a  bold  undertaking,  but 
if  she  could  not  assure  the  Secretary  that  she 
would  right  him  in  his  lady's  eyes,  her  duty,  under 
the  circumstances,  was  all  the  more  imperative 
to  do  so  without  delay ;  so  summoning  all  her 
courage  to  her  aid,  she  ascended  to  Miss  Fitzger- 
ald's chamber,  and  knocked  timidly ;  so  timidly, 
indeed,  that  at  first  she  was  not  heard,  and  was 
compelled  to  knock  again. 

"  Come  in,"  called  Belle. 

Her  Ladyship  partially  opened  the  door. 

"  It's  I,"  she  said. 

"  Lady  Isabelle!  "  exclaimed  Miss  Fitzgerald,  in 
unfeigned  surprise,  rising  to  receive  her  visitor. 
"  You're  the  last  person  I  expected  to  see !  " 

"  I  must  beg  your  pardon  for  intruding  upon 
your  privacy,  but  I  felt  I  must  come  to  you  the 
first  moment  that  I  was  able." 

"Really?" 

"  I  owe  you  an  explanation,  Miss  Fitzgerald." 

Belle  looked  at  her  proudly  and  coldly,  with 
the  air  of  an  insulted  queen.  It  was  not  often 
she  had  the  chance  to  triumph  over  a  lady  of 
title,  and  she  enjoyed  it  thoroughly. 

"  You  owe  me  more  than  an  explanation,"  she 
said,  and  indicating  a  chair  for  her  guest,  they 
both  sat  down. 

11  Of  course,  you're  aware  that  Mr.  Stanley 
cannot  be  engaged  to  me,"  Lady  Isabelle  began, 


A  Very  Awkward  Predicament      259 

after  some  hesitation,  in  which  Belle  gave  her  no 
help,  for  she  knew  this  interview  was  her  real 
punishment. 

"I  should  hardly  have  supposed  so,"  replied 
Miss  Fitzgerald,  and  lapsed  into  silence. 

"  I  " — Lady  Isabelle  began,  covered  with  con- 
fusion— "  I — the  fact  is — I  asked  him  to  propose 
to  me." 

"  You  asked  him  to  propose  to  you  ?  " 

"  I  don't  wonder  you  are  surprised ;  but  the 
facts  of  the  case  are  these.  My  mother  asked 
Mr.  Stanley  his  intentions  last  evening.  Being 
engaged  to  you,  he  naturally  had  none." 

"  Mr.  Stanley  is  not  engaged  to  me." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  I  thought " 

"  He  has  proposed  to  me,  I  admit ;  but  I  must 
say  his  conduct  doesn't  prejudice  me  in  his  favour." 

"  But  you  mustn't  allow  this  to  injure  him,  Miss 
Fitzgerald.  Really  you  must  not." 

"  A  man  who  could  accept  a  lady  who  had  so  far 
forgotten  herself  as  to  propose  to  him " 

"  Pray  let  me  state  my  case  before  judging  me," 
pleaded  her  Ladyship,  ready  to  sink  through  the 
floor  with  mortification. 

"  Proceed,  Lady  Isabelle,"  said  her  tormentor. 

"  Mr.  Stanley  told  me  of  his  interview  with  my 
mother,  who,  I  knew,  was  very  anxious  to  make 
a  match  between  us.  This  morning  I  discovered 
that  she  intended  to  go  to  early  service.  You 
know  what  that  would  have  involved." 

Miss  Fitzgerald  nodded. 

"  I  tried  every  means  to  deter  her,  but  in  vain. 


260  Parlous  Times 

Then,  as  a  last  resort — I  admit  it  was  very  wrong 
to  do  so — I  asked  Mr.  Stanley  to  intercept  my 
mother  on  her  way  to  the  church,  and  make  her 
a  proposal  for  my  hand,  as  I  knew  this  was  the 
only  way  to  detain  her,  telling  him  that  I  was 
about  to  be  married,  and  that  I  would  tell  her  the 
truth  to-day." 

Miss  Fitzgerald  drew  a  sharp  breath. 

"  Then  he  knows  that  you're  a  married  woman  ?  " 

"  He  knew  that  I  was  to  be,  before  the  cere- 
mony." 

The  Irish  girl  gave  a  contented  little  sigh,  and 
murmured  to  herself — "  So  he  did  know  after 
all." 

Then  waking  up  to  the  immediate  present,  she 
continued,  with  exaggerated  courtesy  : — 

"  Your  Ladyship  has  not,  I  think,  finished  your 
story.  You  promised  Mr.  Stanley  that  you  would 
tell  your  mother  the  truth — but  you  have  not 
done  so." 

"  No,  I  have  not,  and  for  the  following  reasons. 
My  husband,  as  you  know,  received  a  telegram 
apprising  him  of  the  fact  that  a  relative,  who  was 
dying,  intended  leaving  him  a  large  fortune,  and 
required  his  immediate  presence.  He  forbade  me 
to  speak  till  he  came  back,  and  insisted  that  I 
must  hold  out  the  prospect  of  my  engagement 
with  Mr.  Stanley  as  a  bait  to  keep  my  mother 
here  till  he  could  return  to  me.  She,  however, 
pressed  me  for  an  answer,  and  on  my  refusing  to 
commit  myself  either  way,  took  matters  into  her 
own  hands,  as  we  have  seen.  I  assure  you  en- 


A  Very  Awkward  Predicament     261 

tirely  without  the  knowledge  of  Mr.  Stanley  or 
myself." 

"  I  see.  You  feel  it  necessary  to  continue  this 
bogus  engagement,  for  the  present." 

"  I'm  between  two  fires,  Miss  Fitzgerald  :  obedi- 
ence to  my  husband's  commands,  and  the  repara- 
tion I  owe  to  you." 

"  What  does  Jimsy  say  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Stanley  has,  of  course,  behaved  like  a  gen- 
tleman, and  left  the  matter  for  me  to  decide. 
I'm  in  a  most  dreadful  position,  either  way  I  must 
wrong  some  one." 

"  I'll  spare  your  conscience,  Lady  Isabelle.  I 
shan't  require  you  to  break  your  engagement  with 
the  Secretary." 

"  But  you'll  forgive  him,  will  you  not  ?  It  was 
not  his  fault,  really." 

"  You  seem  to  forget  that  I've  not  accepted  him 
as  yet." 

"  But  you'll  not  let  this  prejudice  your  ultimate 
decision.  Promise  me  that  ?  " 

"Yes,  I'll  promise — for  I  don't  think  there's 
anything  proved  against  him  in  this  matter,  except 
that  he's  weak,  and  I  did  not  need  you  to  tell  me 
that." 

"  He's  a  very  large  heart,  Miss  Fitzgerald." 

"  He  has,"  assented  that  lady.  "  Of  which  I've 
had  ample  evidence  in  the  last  few  days." 

"  You've  been  so  gracious  to  me  in  this  matter," 
continued  Lady  Isabelle,  "  that  unsuitable  as  the 
occasion  is,  I'm  going  to  venture  to  ask  you  a 
favour." 


262  Parlous  Times 

"  And  what  is  that,  your  Ladyship  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Stanley  doesn't  know  that  you're  aware 
of  my  marriage,  and  for  some  reason  which  I 
don't  understand,  my  husband  forbade  me  to  tell 
him  of  the  fact  unless  I  had  your  permission  ; 
so  he  fancies  that  he's  put  himself  in  a  worse 
position  than  is  really  the  case.  "  Do  allow  me 
to  tell  him  the  truth.  Poor  fellow,  he's  so  un- 
happy." 

"  No,"  replied  Miss  Fitzgerald,  a  gleam  of  tri- 
umph lighting  up  her  face,  as  she  realised  the 
power  which  Kingsland  had  placed  in  her  hands. 
"  Your  husband  is  quite  right ;  there  are  excellent 
reasons  why  he  should  not  be  told;  besides  he 
deserves  to  be  miserable,  he's  treated  me  very 
badly." 

"  In  that  case,"  said  Lady  Isabelle,  stiffly,  rising 
to  go,  "  I've  nothing  more  to  say." 

"  Quite  right,  Lady  Isabeile,  and  may  I  give 
you  a  parting  word  of  caution  ?  When  your  hus- 
band, Lieutenant  Kingsland,  advises  a  course  of 
action,  follow  it  blindly." 

"  Really,  Miss  Fitzgerald  !  "  exclaimed  her  Lady- 
ship, bridling  up  at  the  Irish  girl's  remark. 

"  Good-night,  Lady  Isabelle,"  murmured  Belle 
in  her  silkiest  tones,  opening  the  door,  and  laugh- 
ing softly  to  herself,  as  her  visitor  rustled  away  in 
the  distance.  Then  she  leaned  over  the  staircase 
and  listened.  No  sound  met  her  ears,  but  her 
eyes  beheld  the  disconsolate  figure  of  the  Secre- 
tary, standing  alone  in  the  hall  below.  She  tripped 
noiselessly  down,  and,  arriving  within  a  few  paces 


A  Very  Awkward  Predicament     263 

of  him  unnoticed,  drew  herself  up  haughtily,  and 
said,  in  her  most  chilling  tones : — 

"Will  you  kindly  permit  me  to  pass,  Mr. 
Stanley  ?  " 

"  Belle — Miss  Fitzgerald,"  he  cried.  "  I  must 
have  a  few  words  with  you — I  must  explain." 

"  It's  not  necessary,  Mr.  Stanley.  I've  already 
heard  a  detailed  account  of  the  affair  from  Lady 
Isabelle's  mother." 

On  the  verity  of  the  statement  we  will  not  at- 
tempt to  pass  judgment ;  suffice  it  to  say,  that  it 
simply  staggered  the  young  diplomat. 

"  Good  Lord  !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  I — it's  not 
true,  believe  me,  it's  not  true." 

"  Do  I  understand  you  to  insinuate  that  the 
Marchioness  has  prevaricated  ?  " 

"  No,  no,  of  course  not ;  but  it's  all  a  mistake. 
I  can  explain — really." 

"  Mr.  Stanley,  answer  me  one  question.  Did 
you  or  did  you  not  give  the  Marchioness  to  un- 
derstand, in  your  interview  with  her  this  morning, 
that  you  wished  to  marry  her  daughter  ?  " 

"  Why,  yes — I  suppose  I  did — but,  then,  you 
see " 

"  That  is  quite  sufficient.     Good-night." 

"  If  you'd  only  let  me  explain  !  " 

"  Good-night,  Mr.  Stanley,"  she  repeated  icily, 
and  swept  past  him  into  the  drawing-room. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

THE  RUSTLE  OF  A  SKIRT 

"  You  graceless  young  dog ! "  cried  Kent- 
Lauriston,  falling  upon  Stanley  in  a  half-feigned, 
half-real  burst  of  anger,  as  he  entered  the  smoking- 
room  after  his  encounter  with  Belle.  "  Do  you 
know  you've  caused  me  to  refuse  invitations  by  the 
score,  and  dragged  me  down  to  this  God-forsaken 
place,  at  the  most  impossible  season  of  the  year, 
on  false  pretences  ?  " 

"  False  pretences !     How  so  ?  " 

"  Why  ?  You  shameless  Lothario  !  Why  ? 
Because  what's  left  of  my  conscience  smote  me 
for  leaving  a  lamb  amidst  a  pack  of  wolves,  and 
wouldn't  let  me  rest ;  nearly  destroyed  my  diges- 
tion, I  give  you  my  word.  I  came  down  to  pluck 
your  innocence  alive  from  the  burning,  and  I've 
been  a  fool  for  my  pains.  Why,  confound  you,  I 
not  only  find  you  fyris  with  Madame  Darcy,  but 
engaged  to  both  the  Fitzgerald  and  Lady  Isabelle." 

"  My  dear  Kent-Lauriston,  pray  soothe  your 
ruffled  feelings;  your  logic  is  excellent,  but  your 
premises  are  one  and  all  false." 

"What!" 

"  I  say  there's  nothing  between  Madame  Darcy 
264 


The  Rustle  of  a  Skirt  265 

and  myself,  and  that  I'm  neither  engaged  to  Miss 
Fitzgerald  nor  Lady  Isabelle." 

"  But,  my  dear  Stanley,  I've  heard " 

"  But,  my  dear  Kent-Lauriston,  you've  heard 
wrongly." 

"  What — isn't  Madame  Darcy  here?  " 

"  Yes." 

"And  haven't  you  seen  her?" 

"Yes." 

"  And  walked  with  her  early  in  the  morning  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"And  breakfasted  with  her,  tete-a-tete  at  a 
farmhouse  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  And  hasn't  her  husband  challenged  you  to  a 
duel  on  her  account  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  And  didn't  he,  moreover,  catch  you  in  the  act 
of  proposing  to  Miss  Fitzgerald?" 

"Yes." 

"  And  haven't  you  asked  the  Marchioness  for 
Lady  Isabelle's  hand  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  And  in  the  face  of  all  this — you  attempt  to 
deny " 

"  In  the  face  of  all  this — circumstantial  evidence 
— I'm  quite  prepared  to  deny  everything.  Would 
you  like  to  hear  the  facts  of  the  case?  " 

"  Rather ! " 

As  will  have  been  inferred,  the  two  men  had 
the  smoking-room  entirely  to  themselves,  and  the 
best  part  of  an  hour  passed  before  the  Secretary 


266  Parlous  Times 

had  finished  his  account  of  events  with  which  the 
reader  is  familiar. 

Kent-Lauriston  heard  him  out  with  great  in- 
terest,  and  after  drawing  a  long  breath,  at  the  close 
of  his  recital,  remarked : — 

"  I  think  I  shall  be  fully  repaid  for  any  incon- 
venience to  which  I've  put  myself  on  your  ac- 
count. This  whole  affair  is  most  interesting,  and, 
believe  me,  there's  more  in  it  than  appears  on  the 
surface." 

"  I  feel  the  same  way  myself,"  replied  the  Sec- 
retary ;  "  but  let  us  hear  your  views  on  the  sub- 
ject." 

"First,"  replied  his  friend,  "you  must  assure 
me  of  how  you  yourself  stand.  Are  you  still  in 
your  unregenerate  state,  or  have  you  yet  begun 
to  see  the  fruits  of  your  folly?" 

The  young  diplomat  was  silent  fora  long  time, 
but  finally  he  said,  looking  up  into  Kent-Lauris- 
ton's  face  with  an  almost  appealing  glance  : 

"  I'm  afraid  you  would  think  me  awfully  caddish 
if  I  told  you  the  truth  about  it." 

"  About  the  state  of  your  affections  for  Miss 
Fitzgerald,  you  mean  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  Of  course,  I  shouldn't  think  you  justified  in 
making  a  public  declaration  of  a  change  of  senti- 
ment, because  it  might  seem  to  reflect  on  the  lady, 
but  in  my  case  it's  very  different.  Having  spoken 
so  frankly  and  freely  on  the  subject  already,  I 
might  almost  say  that  you  owe  it  to  me  to  con- 
tinue to  do  so,  Certainly  I've  given  you  no  cause 


The  Rustle  of  a  Skirt  267 

for  reticence  by  anything  I've  done,  and,  as  cer- 
tainly, you  must  confide  fully  in  me  if  you  wish 
my  help  in  the  future." 

"  Well,  then,  the  truth  is,"  he  blurted  out,  "  that 
you  were  right  and  I  was  wrong,  and  I've  found 
it  out  too  late." 

"  I  thought  as  much." 

"  But  I'm  not  going  back  on  my  word.  If  I've 
made  a  mistake,  I  must  suffer  for  it ;  and  if  Miss 
Fitzgerald  accepts  my  proposal,  which  she  now 
has  under  consideration,  I  shall  live  up  to  my 
part  of  the  agreement ;  and  if  I  can  prevent  it,  she 
shall  never  suspect  that  I  would  have  matters 
otherwise.  If  she  should  refuse  me,  however " 

"  You'd  make  a  fool  of  yourself  just  the  same," 
continued  Kent-Lauriston,  "by  jumping  out  of 
the  frying-pan  into  the  fire,  and  marrying  Mad- 
ame Darcy  the  instant  she  obtained  her  divorce." 

"  Kent-Lauriston,"  Stanley  exclaimed,  "  you 
know  a  d d  sight  too  much  !  " 

The  Englishman  laughed  softly,  and  then  re- 
sumed the  thread  of  his  discourse. 

"  Now  that  I  understand  your  position "  he 

began. 

"  Do  you  understand  it  ?  " 

"  Better  than  you  do  yourself,  I  fancy ;  let  me 
see  if  I  can  state  it.  You've  proposed  to  Miss 
Fitzgerald,  and  she  has  taken  the  question  of  mar- 
rying you  into  consideration  ;  since  which  time 
you  have  come  to  the  conclusion,  for  reasons 
which  we  will  not  specify  out  of  consideration  for 
your  feelings,  that,  if  she  refuses,  or  could  be 


268  Parlous  Times 

induced  to  refuse  you,  you'd  accept  the  decision 
without  an  appeal.  Am  I  correct  ?  " 

The  Secretary  nodded  gloomily. 

"  Under  the  circumstances,  do  you  give  me  per- 
mission to  do  what  I  can  to  effect  your  release?" 

"  Do  what  you  please." 

"  I'll  do  my  best.  Now  what  induced  you  to 
propose  to  her  against  your  better  judgment  ? 
Did  she  lead  you  on  ?  " 

"  No,  certainly  not — if  you  suppose !  " 

"  Well,  something  must  have  started  you  up." 

41  Charges  were  made  against  her.  I  thought  it 
my  duty  to  tell  her  what  had  been  said " 

44  How  did  she  receive  it  ?  " 

44  She  accused  me  of  being  a  false  friend,  of  not 
having  defended  her." 

44  And  you  proposed — when — that  day  ?  " 

44  No,  the  next  night." 

44 1  see,  the  next  night ;  because  you  thought  it 
your  duty  to  protect  her." 

44  Confound  you.     You  read  me  like  a  book." 

44  An  open  page  is  easy  reading.  Now  who 
made  the  charges  ?  " 

"  Kingsland." 

44 1  thought  so.     Whom  did  they  concern  ?  " 

44  Darcy." 

44  Exactly.  And  at  the  very  moment  that  you 
were  asking  her  to  give  you  the  right  to  protect 
her  from  men  of  Darcy's  stamp — he  turns  up  and 
proves  you  the  worst  of  the  lot." 

44  And  she — I  wonder  she  didn't  refuse  me  out 
of  hand." 


The  Rustle  of  a  Skirt  269 

"  I  wonder  she  didn't  accept  you — but  let  that 
pass.  All  I  wish  to  point  out  to  you  is  this : — 
Kingsland  drove  you  by  the  charges  he  made 
against  Darcy  to  propose  to  Miss  Fitzgerald. 
What  was  his  motive  for  doing  so  ?  " 

"  Friendship  for  Miss  Fitzgerald." 

"  Would  that  be  likely  to  induce  him  to  make 
serious  charges  against  her  ?  " 

"  Friendship  for  me." 

"  Nonsense  !  I  know  the  man.  He  did  it  be- 
cause it  paid  him  to  do  it." 

"  How  was  that  possible  ?  " 

"  I  can  suggest  one  motive.  The  removal  of 
the  obstacles  preventing  Lady  Isabelle's  secret 
marriage.  Now  who  could  have  effected  this  ? 
Not  Lady  Isabelle,  she  never  had  the  audacity  to 
carry  out  such  a  scheme ;  not  Kingsland,  he 
hasn't  brains  enough  ;  our  hostess  is  above  sus- 
picion ;  in  fact  there's  only  one  person  who  could 
have  conceived  and  carried  out  the  plan  to  its  suc- 
cessful conclusion — namely,  Miss  Fitzgerald." 

"  What  grounds  have  you  for  proving  it  ?  " 

"  Was  she  with  the  parson  at  all,  before  the 
ceremony  ?  " 

"  I  knew  you'd  ask  that  question !  " 

"  Then  she  was." 

"  Twice,  on  the  days  just  preceding — to  my 
knowledge." 

"  That's  sufficient." 

"  Not  for  me." 

"  Then  I'll  tell  you  where  we  can  find  the  miss- 
ing link  of  evidence." 


270  Parlous  Times 

"Where?" 

"  In  the  marriage  register  of  the  church.  Find 
the  names  of  the  witnesses,  and  you'll  find  the 
people  who  have  carried  it  through.  If  you'll 
kindly  leave  it  in  my  hands,  I'll  verify  my  state- 
ments to-morrow  morning.  I'd  prefer  that  you 
did  not  do  it  yourself." 

"  As  you  please.  But  even  admitting  you're 
right,  it  doesn't  give  the  cause  for  the  motive." 

"  Oh,  yes,  it  does — Miss  Fitzgerald's  interven- 
tion in  this  matter  was  the  price  of  Kingsland's 
egging  you  on  to  propose." 

"  Nonsense ! " 

"  I'll  lay  you  a  thousand  to  one  on  it." 

Stanley  shrugged  his  shoulders,  saying : — 

"  But  your  own  arguments  defeat  you,  my  dear 
fellow.  If  Miss  Fitzgerald  was  such  a  calculating 
person,  why  should  she  put  herself  out,  and  run 
the  risk  of  compromising  herself,  merely  to  induce 
the  Lieutenant  to  play  upon  my  jealousy,  when, 
as  you've  already  shown,  and  I've  admitted,  I 
was  so  weak  as  to  make  such  strategy  unneces- 
sary." 

"  Perhaps  that  was  not  the  only  favour  Miss 
Fitzgerald  looked  for,  and  the  Lieutenant's 
hands " 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  Well,  taking  five  chests  for  her  to  London." 

"  Oh,"  said  the  Secretary,  much  relieved,  "  I 
know  all  about  that.  I  quite  assure  you  it  has 
nothing  to  do  with  Miss  Fitzgerald." 

"  But  I  heard  her  asking  Kingsland  to  take  them 


The  Rustle  of  a  Skirt  271 

up  for  her  this  afternoon,  and  to  put  them  in  his 
bank." 

"  Look  here,  Kent-Lauriston,  your  dislike  for 
poor  Belle  must  have  got  the  better  of  your  com- 
mon sense.  You  certainly  misinterpreted  what 
she  said.  Those  chests  belong  to  Mr.  Riddle." 

Kent-Lauriston  changed  the  subject. 

"  What  is  Colonel  Darcy  here  for  ?  " 

"  He  says,  to  watch  his  wife." 

"  What  is  she  here  for  ?  " 

"  She  says  she  has  letters  written  to  her  husband  N 
by  some  member  of  this  household,  which  have 
aroused  her  suspicions."  I 

"  That  sounds  more  promising.  Who  is  this 
person?" 

"  A  woman  of  course — but  she  only  knows  her, 
Christian  name." 

"  And  that  is  ?  " 

"  She  will  not  tell  me." 

"  Ah  !  "  said  Kent-Lauriston  drily. 

"  I've  sources  of  information  about  Darcy, 
which  I'm  not  at  liberty  to  give  you,"  resumed 
Stanley,  "but  you're  not  on  the  right  track, 
believe  me." 

"  Time  will  prove  the  correctness  of  some  of  my 
theories,  at  least,"  replied  his  mentor,  "  and  I  shall 
be  better  able  to  talk  when  I've  seen  the  marriage 
register.  Now  let's  have  something  to  drink,  and 
go  to  bed  ;  "  and  he  pressed  the  bell. 

An  interval  having  elapsed  without  an  answer, 
he  rang  again,  but  no  servant  appeared. 

"  It  must  be  later  than  I  thought.     We'll  have 


272  Parlous  Times 

to   shift   for    ourselves.     There'll   be   something 
going  in  the  billiard-room." 

"  Hark  !  "  said  Stanley.  "  There's  somebody 
in  the  hall ;  it's  probably  the  butler  shutting  up 
for  the  night." 

They  both  listened,  and  a  peculiar,  shuffling, 
scraping  sound  became  audible. 

"  That's  a  curious  noise,"  said  the  Secretary. 
"  Let's  see  what  it  means,"  and,  suiting  the  action 
to  the  word,  he  threw  open  the  smoking-room 
door. 

The  light  in  the  hall  was  turned  out,  and  the 
sombre  black  oak  panelling  made  the  great  apart- 
ment seem  darker  than  it  really  was.  Absolute 
stillness  reigned.  It  was,  to  all  appearance, 
empty. 

"  Must  have  been  rats,"  said  the  Secretary. 
"  Everyone  seems  to  have  retired." 

"  Have  they  ?  "  said  Kent-Lauriston. 

"  Listen  ! " 

And  both  could  have  sworn  that  they  heard,  far 
up  the  hall,  the  dying  rustle  of  a  skirt.  But  there 
were  some  things  that  Stanley  had  no  wish  to 
know,  and  he  set  his  face  and  his  steps  towards 
the  stairs,  continuing: — 

"  As  I  was  saying,  we  are  the  only  people 
up." 

"  Then  we'd  better  go  to  bed." 

"  By  all  means." 

"  Shall  I  turn  out  the  electric  lights  in  the 
smoking-room?  " 

"  Yes,  we're  evidently  the  last." 


The  Rustle  of  a  Skirt  273 

A  moment  later  they  stood  on  the  upper  landing 
about  to  separate  for  the  night. 

"  The  woman  was  behind  that  screen  at  the  foot 
of  the  stairs,"  said  Kent-Lauriston. 

"  Yes,  I  know,"  replied  the  Secretary. 

"  Good-night,  my  dear  Stanley." 

"  Good-night,  old  man.  You  possess  a  rare 
talent." 

"Yes?" 

"  You  know  when  not  to  ask  questions." 
18 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

FACE    TO   FACE 

WHEN  Kent-Lauriston  had  disappeared  in  his 
bedroom,  and  closed  the  door,  the  Secretary,  ex- 
tinguishing his  own  candle,  turned  on  his  heel, 
and  walked  slowly  back  to  the  head  of  the  stairs. 
It  was  easy  to  preserve  an  unruffled  demeanour 
before  his  friend,  but  he  was  far  from  being  as 
calm  as  he  appeared. 

All  was  not  right  in  the  house,  he  knew.  Some 
mischief  was  afoot,  and  he  meant  to  find  out  what 
it  was,  even  though  he  dared  not  admit  to  himself 
some  of  the  possibilities  which  it  suggested. 

He  softly  descended  the  stairs.  Everything 
was  silent.  He  moved  the  screen ;  the  space 
behind  it  was  vacant.  Suddenly,  his  eye  fell  upon 
the  smoking-room  door,  and  he  drew  in  his  breath 
softly.  There  was  a  line  of  light  showing  under 
the  crack.  Yet  he  could  have  sworn  that  Kent- 
Lauriston  had  turned  off  the  switch,  and  while  he 
stood  hesitating  as  to  what  it  was  best  to  do,  a 
soft  breath  of  wind  upon  his  cheek  caused  him  to 
make  another  discovery.  The  great  front  door 
was  open.  He  stepped  softly  down  the  hall,  and 
going  out  under  the  porte-cochere,  cast  his  eyes 
over  the  driveway.  No  one  was  in  sight.  He 
274 


Face  to  Face  275 

was  about  to  return  to  the  house  when  he  heard 
light  steps  coming  down  the  hall.  Drawing  back 
into  the  shadow  to  escape  observation,  he  waited. 
Someone  was  evidently  leaving  the  house.  A 
moment  later,  a  hand  was  lightly  laid  upon  the 
door,  and  it  was  closed  behind  him,  before  he 
could  realise  what  was  happening.  He  was  shut 
out  into  the  night. 

His  first  impulse  was  to  ring  sharply  for  assist- 
ance. Second  thoughts  showed  him  the  foolish- 
ness of  such  an  attempt.  It  would  be  merely  ap- 
prising the  intruders  of  his  presence,  and  long 
before  a  servant  could  be  aroused  and  the  bell 
could  be  answered,  they  would  have  made  their 
escape. 

The  Secretary  judged  that  shutting  him  out  was 
unintentional.  The  persons,  whoever  they  were, 
had  hidden  somewhere,  till  he  had  gone  upstairs, 
had  then  slipped  into  the  smoking-room,  probably 
to  arrange  their  plans,  and  coming  out  while  he 
was  on  the  lawn,  and  seeing  the  door  ajar,  had 
closed  it,  quite  unconscious  that  by  so  doing  they 
were  putting  their  pursuer  in  a  very  awkward 
predicament. 

However,  the  Secretary  told  himself  that  there 
was  nothing  to  prevent  him  from  seeing  what  was 
going  on  in  the  hall,  and  he  hastened  to  make  his 
way  round  to  the  side  of  the  house  where  there 
were  several  large  windows  opening  into  that 
apartment.  He  had  picked  his  way  across  several 
flower-beds,  and  was  just  turning  the  corner  to 
approach  the  house  when  he  was  startled  by  seeing 


276  Parlous  Times 

a  dark  figure  loom  up  beside  him,  and  feeling  a 
hand  lightly  laid  on  his  shoulder,  and  a  whispered 
word  of  caution  to  be  silent.  Almost  invol- 
untarily, however,  he  exclaimed  : — 

"  Inez  !    You  here,  and  at  this  hour." 

"  Sh  !  "  she  said.  "  There  are  listeners.  I,  like 
you,  am  watching." 

"  Who  are  you  watching?"  he  asked,  softly. 

"  My  husband." 

"Your  husband?" 

"  Yes,"  she  replied.  "  Why  has  he  entered  this 
house  secretly  every  night  since  he  has  been 
here?" 

"  You  amaze  me,"  said  the  Secretary.  "  How 
has  it  been  possible  for  him  to  get  in  ?  " 

"  He  has  been  aided  by  someone  who  opens 
the  door  for  him." 

"  A  man  ?  " 

"  No,  a  woman." 

The  Secretary  whistled  softly. 

"  Well,"  he  said,  "  we'll  probe  this  mystery  to 
the  bottom.  I,  too,  have  heard  suspicious  noises 
in  the  passages  to-night,  and,  coming  down,  after 
I  had  retired,  to  find  out  what  they  were,  I  was 
shut  out  from  within,  though  I  don't  think  they 
were  aware  of  my  presence.  We  must  go  round 
on  the  outside  and  see  what  we  can  through  the 
windows." 

"You  can't,"  she  said.  "The  approaches  are 
protected  by  an  iron  fence  with  spikes." 

"  But  surely  there's  a  gate  ?  " 

"  Yes,  but  it's  always  padlocked." 


Face  to  Face  277 

"  We'll  have  a  look  at  it,  any  way,"  he  re- 
plied; and  they  approached  and  examined  it 
closely. 

The  Secretary  rattled  the  lock  cautiously  and 
found  it  old  and  shaky. 

"  I  think  I  could  smash  this  with  a  couple  of 
bits  of  flint,"  he  said,  "  and  if  I  have  a  new  lock 
put  on  at  my  own  expense,  my  hostess  will,  under 
the  circumstances,  probably  forgive  me."  And 
suiting  the  action  to  the  word,  he  managed,  by  a 
few  judicious  blows,  with  two  bits  of  stone,  picked 
up  from  the  driveway,  to  bend  the  hasp  of  the 
lock  sufficiently  to  release  it. 

There  being  no  further  impediment  to  their 
progress  they  hastened  through  the  gardens,  and 
a  moment  later  were  standing  outside  one  of  the 
great  hall  windows  whose  lower  panes  were  on  a 
level  with  their  faces.  They  could  distinctly  see 
three  people,  but  their  glances  were  riveted  on  a 
circle  of  light  farther  up  the  hall,  a  circle  that 
shifted  and  danced  over  the  surface  of  the  secret 
door,  flashing  on  the  heads  of  the  silver  nails ;  a 
circle  that  was  made  by  the  lens  of  a  small  bull's- 
eye  lantern,  held  in  the  grasp  of  a  crouching  figure 
whose  back  was  turned  towards  them.  By  his  side 
were  two  others,  apparently  a  man  and  a  woman, 
who  seemed  to  be  directing  him  at  his  work.  For 
several  minutes  the  little  group  presented  their 
backs  to  the  spectators,  but  at  an  incautious  step 
of  the  Secretary's,  which  caused  a  dry  twig  to 
crackle,  they  all  turned  sharply  round,  the  owner 
of  the  lantern  throwing  its  rays  full  on  the  win- 


278  Parlous  Times 

dow  outside  which  they  were  standing.  The 
watchers  drew  back,  in  time  evidently  to  escape 
detection,  for  the  absence  of  footsteps  and  the  re- 
currence, after  a  moment,  of  the  curious  sounds 
which  Stanley  had  noticed  from  the  smoking- 
room,  assured  him  that  they  had  once  more  re- 
turned to  their  work.  The  lantern,  however, 
though  it  had  failed  to  discover  them,  had,  for  a 
brief  second,  illumined  the  faces  of  the  intruders, 
and  both  the  Secretary  and  Madame  Darcy  recog- 
nised the  trio.  The  man  at  work  on  the  door  was 
the  Colonel ;  his  assistants  were  Mr.  Riddle  and 
Miss  Fitzgerald.  The  Secretary's  worst  suspicions 
were  confirmed,  and  a  smothered  sob  at  his  side 
told  him  that  the  discovery  had  inflicted  no  less 
keen  a  pang  on  his  companion.  She  slipped  down 
in  a  little  heap  on  the  ground,  and  he  dropped  on 
his  knees  beside  her,  whispering  such  consolation 
as  he  could  without  running  the  risk  of  being  over- 
heard. 

"  I  knew  it  must  be  so,"  she  said,  "  and  yet  I 
hoped  against  hope  that  he  was  not  guilty  of  this 
last  infamy." 

Suddenly  another  thought  seemed  to  have  oc- 
curred to  her. 

"  You  knew,"  she  said.  "  You  must  have  known, 
and  yet  you  did  not  tell  me." 

"  My  dear  Inez,"  he  said.  "  How  could  I, 
when  my  suspicions  were  directed  against  your 
own  husband  ?  " 

"  But  why  do  I  think  of  myself?"  she  said. 
14 1  am  nothing.  But  it  is  you — you,  that  my 


Face  to  Face  279 

heart  bleeds  for.  I,  too,  concealed  my  suspicions 
for  your  sake." 

"  And  you  can  think  of  me,"  he  said,  "  at  a 
time  like  this?  " 

"  Of  course,"  she  replied.  "Yours  is  the  greater 
sorrow.  I  knew  that  my  husband  was  bad — 
worthless — capable  of  anything.  My  eyes  are 
only  proving  what  my  reason  told  me  must  be  so. 
But  with  you,  it  is  so  much  harder.  This  is  the 
woman  you  loved,  and,  whom  loving,  you  must 
have  made  your  ideal.  And  now  to  find  that  she 
is — this."  And  she  pressed  his  hand  silently. 

"  Don't  talk  about  it,"  said  the  Secretary. 

"You  don't  quite  understand." 

"  But  what  is  to  be  done?"  she  said. 

"  Nothing,  unless  they  show  signs  of  success, 
and  that  I  do  not  think  likely.  If  the  secret  of 
the  door  has  withstood  the  ingenuity  of  genera- 
tions in  the  past,  it  is  likely  to  do  so  in  the  future, 
unless  they  tried  to  force  it,  and  that  I  think 
they'd  hardly  dare  to  do." 

"  Listen,"  she  said.  And  the  Secretary  heard  a 
noise  of  creaking,  straining  wood. 

"  They  are  trying  to  force  it !  "  he  cried,  spring- 
ing up  and  looking  through  the  window.  And 
she,  following  his  lead,  saw  that  Darcy  was  work- 
ing with  might  and  main  with  some  burglar's  tool 
after  the  nature  of  a  lever.  But  though  the  old 
oaken  door  groaned  in  protest  at  such  treatment, 
it  never  gave  an  inch,  and  the  Colonel,  removing 
his  instrument,  made  a  gesture  of  despair,  and 
stood  wiping  the  sweat  from  his  brow. 


280  Parlous  Times 

"  What  does  this  all  mean  ? "  said  Madame 
Darcy,  as  they  slipped  down  again  into  their  place 
of  concealment. 

"  It  means,"  said  the  Secretary  shortly,  "  that 
your  husband's  secret  instructions  are  behind  that 
door,  and  from  his  eagerness  to  get  them  I  should 
say  that  they  contain  a  cipher  of  something  that 
cannot  be  duplicated  in  the  time  at  his  command." 

"  I  do  not  understand,"  she  said. 

"  Well,  if  you  must  know  the  truth,"  he  replied, 
"  he's  to  take  over  the  specie  needed  to  defeat  the 
treaty,  and  to  get  there  in  time  he  must  sail  from 
England  in  a  few  days." 

She  nodded  mournfully. 

"  I  supposed  it  was  something  like  that,"  she 
said.  "  I  knew  Mr.  Riddle  had  brought  the  gold. 
It  is  here." 

"  No,"  he  said,  "  it's  in  the  Victoria  Street 
Branch  of  the  Bank  of  England,  in  London." 

"  How  was  it  sent  up  ?  " 

"  Lieutenant  Kingsland  took  it." 

"  Is  he  a  member  of  the  conspiracy  ?" 

"  It  appears  so — but  I  am  not  certain.  He  may 
be  an  innocent  dupe,"  replied  the  Secretary. 

"  And  you  let  the  specie  go  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  Yes,"  he  said.  "  When  I  discovered  where 
they  were  sending  the  chests  I  helped  them. 
It's  safer  in  the  Bank  than  knocking  round  here, 
and  I  can  prevent  its  being  drawn  out  any  time  I 
wish." 

"  By  the  arrest  of  the  conspirators  ? "  she 
said. 


Face  to  Face  281 

"  I  hope  that  it  won't  be  necessary  to  arrest 
anybody,"  he  replied. 

"  Then  you  have  some  plan  ?  " 

"Yes.  But  I'm  afraid  you  mustn't  ask  me 
what  that  is.  Nor  must  you  write  a  word  of  all 
this  to  your  father.  But  I  promise  you  that  if  it's 
possible  I'll  save  your  husband  from  open  disgrace, 
and  I  think  it  will  be." 

"  Thank  you,  thank  you,"  she  murmured.  "  You 
are  indeed  my  friend,"  and  her  hand  again  sought 
his,  and  he  quivered  under  her  touch. 

"  Listen  !  "  she  said.     "  They're  moving." 

He  raised  himself  cautiously,  and  looked 
through  the  window.  The  attempt  for  that  night 
had  evidently  been  given  up.  The  three  con- 
spirators shook  hands,  and  Miss  Fitzgerald  and 
Mr.  Riddle  stole  softly  upstairs,  leaving  Darcy  to 
put  his  tools  in  a  bag  and  let  himself  out.  This 
he  proceeded  to  do  in  a  leisurely  manner.  Once 
his  companions  were  out  of  sight,  he  again  took 
out  the  lever,  and  made  one  more  attempt  to 
open  the  secret  door,  bending  all  his  force  to  the 
task.  Madame  Darcy  and  the  Secretary  watched 
him  breathlessly,  but  he  was  again  unsuccessful, 
and  with  a  disgusted  shrug  of  his  shoulders  he 
relinquished  the  attempt. 

His  attacks  on  the  door  had,  however,  evidently 
marred  the  wood,  and  he  produced  from  his  recep- 
tacle a  bottle  of  varnish  and  a  brush,  with  which  he 
proceeded  to  repair  the  traces  of  the  damage. 
The  Secretary's  eyes,  wandering  from  the  Colonel, 
suddenly  lighted  on  the  figure  of  his  friend, 


282  Parlous  Times 

Kent-Lauriston,  who  had  evidently  been  awak- 
ened by  the  returning  footsteps  of  Darcy's  com- 
panions as  they  sought  their  bedrooms,  and  who 
was  now  stealing  downstairs  to  intercept  the 
intruder. 

Before  Stanley  could  restrain  his  friend,  Kent- 
Lauriston  had  softly  approached  the  recumbent 
figure,  so  softly,  indeed,  that  the  Colonel,  who 
was  intent  on  trying  to  repair  the  door,  did  not 
hear  him,  and  was  aware  of  his  presence  only 
when  a  stout  arm  encircled  his  neck,  throwing 
him  backwards  on  the  floor,  where  he  lay,  with 
his  captor's  knee  upon  his  chest. 

Stanley  felt  the  need  of  being  present  also,  and 
exerting  his  strength  on  the  sash,  found,  to  his 
great  satisfaction,  that  the  butler  had  neglected 
to  bolt  the  window.  With  a  quiet  good-night  to 
Madame  Darcy,  who  slipped  away  in  the  dark- 
ness, he  swung  himself  over  the  sill,  and  landing 
on  his  feet  in  the  hall,  joined  the  group,  nodding 
to  his  friend  as  he  did  so. 

"  Ah,  my  fine  fellow.  Burgling,  were  you  ? " 
said  Kent-Lauriston  to  his  captive. 

"  You're  mistaken,"  said  the  Secretary,  step- 
ping quietly  up.  "  This  is  not  a  thief;  it's  only 
Colonel  Darcy,  engaged,  if  I  mistake  not,  in  an 
attempt  to  recover  his  lost  property." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  returned  Kent-Lauriston, 
releasing  his  prostrate  foe ;  and  turning  to  Stanley, 
he  continued:  "Lacking  the  fineness  of  percep- 
tion bred  of  diplomatic-training,  I  must  confess  I 
didn't  see  the  subtle  distinction." 


Face  to  Face  283 

Darcy  rose  deliberately,  growling  a  surly  some- 
thing, which  might  have  been  equally  well  an 
apology  or  an  oath,  and  snapped  to  the  shutter  of 
his  dark  lantern. 

"  Yes,  we  shan't  need  that  light  now,  thank 
you,"  said  Stanley,  turning  on  the  central  lamp. 

"  Well,  what  are  you  going  to  do  about  it  ? " 
asked  the  Colonel,  gruffly. 

The  diplomat  was  on  his  best  behaviour. 

"  I'm  so  sorry,"  he  said.  "  Of  course,  we  did 
not  know  you  were  a  caller.  The  ladies  have 
retired,  and  I'm  sure  you  don't  want  to  see  us; 
we  won't  detain  you." 

"  I "  began  Darcy,  clenching  his  fist. 

"Oh,  I'll  make  your  excuses  to  Mrs.  Roberts," 
pursued  the  Secretary.  "  Don't  trouble  about 
that." 

"  I'll  be  damned  if  I'll  tolerate  this  interfer- 
ence," burst  out  the  Colonel. 

"  I'm  sure  you'll  be  the  first,  and  will  also 
endure  the  second,  my  dear  sir,"  continued  Stan- 
ley in  his  most  suave  tones.  "  So  we'll  say  no 
more  about  it.  The  front  door  is  easy  to  open, 
Colonel  Darcy,  as  of  course  you  know.  Good- 
night." 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

THE  MARRIAGE  REGISTER 

ON  the  morning  which  succeeded  Stanley's  mid- 
night vigil,  the  Reverend  Reginald  Lambert  was 
early  at  the  little  chapel,  which  was  his  great  pride 
in  life.  The  good  old  gentleman  was  never  so 
happy  as  when  he  could  induce  any  of  the  visitors 
at  the  Hall  to  give  him  an  hour  of  their  time  to 
listen  to  his  dissertations  on  the  ecclesiastical  his- 
tory of  the  building;  to  examine  its  fragments  of 
"  dog-tooth,"  and  discuss  the  meaning  of  that  one 
"  foliated  capital,"  in  a  structure  otherwise  severe- 
ly Saxon.  He  was  even  writing  a  little  book  on 
all  these  things;  a  volume  which  he  fondly  hoped 
might  some  day  be  given  to  the  world.  This 
morning,  however,  he  must  have  been  engaged  on 
some  work  of  special  interest,  in  which  he  was  so 
absorbed  that  time  flew  by  unnoticed  till  his  task 
was  finished.  He  was  just  preparing  to  return  to 
his  rectory,  when  he  received  an  unexpected  visit 
from  a  lady,  who  requested  permission  to  examine 
the  marriage  register. 

The  lady  was  a  stranger  to  him,  and  was  evi- 
dently of  foreign  extraction.  She  asked  to 
see  an  old  volume  of  the  records,  and  took  the 

occasion,   when  his  back  was  turned,  to  hastily 
284 


The  Marriage  Register  285 

glance  at  the  last  matrimonial  entry,  for  the  mar- 
riage register  lay  open  on  the  table,  comparing  the 
same  with  a  line  of  handwriting  which  she  had 
with  her,  and  evincing  surprise  as  well  as  satisfac- 
tion at  the  knowledge  she  derived  therefrom. 

A  moment  later,  when  .the  old  man  returned, 
she  was,  to  all  appearances,  absorbed  in  the  con- 
templation of  an  extremely  repellent  gargoyle. 

The  entry  she  desired  was  not  to  be  found,  was 
probably  in  some  neighbouring  parish,  she  sug- 
gested— a  fact  which  the  narrator  thinks  unlikely. 
She  nevertheless  passed  a  profitable  hour,  allow- 
ing the  good  parson  to  show  her  every  nook  and 
corner  of  his  precious  possession,  and  displaying 
an  intelligent  interest,  which  was  as  rare  as  it 
was  gratifying. 

But  the  morning  had  not  yet  revealed  all  its 
treasures  to  Mr.  Lambert.  Scarcely  had  the 
strange  lady's  footsteps  died  away,  when  another 
visitor,  a  new  arrival  at  the  Hall,  put  in  an  appear- 
ance ;  and  avowed  himself  such  an  ardent  enthu- 
siast in  all  matters  ancient  and  ecclesiastical,  and, 
moreover,  substantiated  his  pretensions  to  such  a 
degree,  that  the  old  parson  declared  afterwards  he 
had  never  had  such  a  morning  of  perfect  enjoy- 
ment in  his  life.  Kent-Lauriston,  for  it  was  none 
other,  exerted  himself  to  interest  his  cicerone,  and 
succeeded  admirably.  He  possessed  that  rare  gift 
of  developing  any  topic  that  might  be  suggested 
by  the  person  to  whom  he  was  talking,  of  making 
it  his  own,  and  at  the  same  time  causing  his  com- 
panion to  believe  that  he  was  contributing,  in  no 


286  Parlous  Times 

small  part,  to  the  brilliancy  of  the  conversation. 
So,  more  than  an  hour  slipped  by,  and  Kent-Lau- 
riston  found  ample  opportunity  to  consult  the 
marriage  register  unobserved,  and  to  be  much  sur- 
prised at  what  he  saw  there — moreover  he  learned 
many  things  besides  the  subject  of  Norman  deco- 
ration and  Saxon  construction —  among  the  more 
important  of  which  was  the  visit  of  the  foreign 
lady,  who  wanted  to  look  up  old  volumes  of  the 
records. 

"  I  have  the  honour  to  be  invited  to  dine  at  the 
Hall  this  evening,"  said  Mr.  Lambert,  in  parting 
with  Kent-Lauriston.  "  I  shall  look  forward  to 
the  pleasure  of  continuing  our  conversation." 

His  visitor  bowed,  and  left  him. 

It  cannot  be  said  of  most  of  the  members  of  the 
house  party  that  they  passed  the  morning  as  use- 
fully or  happily  as  Kent-Lauriston.  In  the  Sec- 
retary's mind  the  problem  was  uppermost,  of  how 
to  be  alone  from  breakfast  to  lunch.  He  was 
aided  in  the  accomplishment  of  his  intent  by  the 
connivance  of  the  three  ladies  whom  he  was  most 
anxious  to  avoid.  The  Dowager  sent  him  a  little 
note  saying  that  she  always  spent  the  morning  in 
her  room,  and  that  her  dear  Isabelle  would  be 
quite  free  in  consequence.  The  "  dear  Isabelle  " 
informed  Stanley  publicly,  that  she  should  spend 
the  morning  in  the  library,  and  intimated  privately, 
that  it  would  be  well  if  he  was  supposedly  with 
her,  and  in  reality  anywhere  else  ;  while  Miss  Fitz- 
gerald remarked,  that  she  intended  spending  the 
morning  in  the  park,  as  she  wished  to  be  alone. 


The  Marriage  Register  287 

As  a  result  of  these  obvious  suggestions,  the  Sec- 
retary followed  Lady  Isabelle  into  the  library,  in 
full  sight  of  the  party  at  large,  and  crossing  the 
room,  stepped  out  of  one  of  the  long,  low  win- 
dows on  to  the  lawn,  and  by  means  of  a  side  stair- 
case quietly  gained  his  own  apartment,  where  he 
spent  the  morning  in  reading  and  meditation.  His 
reading  was  confined  to  a  comprehensive  volume 
on  "  Locks,  Ancient  and  Modern,"  by  Price,  re- 
ceived that  morning  from  John.  His  meditations, 
on  the  other  hand,  were  on  an  entirely  different 
subject. 

The  events  of  the  night  before,  aided  by  Kent- 
Lauriston's  suggestive  comments,  had  brought 
him  face  to  face  with  a  question  to  which  he  had 
hitherto  avoided  giving  an  answer.  Was  Miss 
Fitzgerald  a  party  to  the  conspiracy  to  defeat  the 
treaty  ?  He  put  it  to  himself  in  so  many  words. 

Repugnant  as  was  the  task,  the  Secretary  felt 
that  he  must,  in  the  interests  of  his  country,  put 
sentiment  aside  and  face  the  facts. 

It  was  not  to  be  supposed  because  he  had  made 
the  mistake  of  taking  pity  for  love,  in  the  case  of 
the  lady,  that  he  was  any  the  less  indifferent  to 
her  fate.  He  still  considered  himself  bound  to 
her,  should  she  ask  the  redemption  of  his  promise  ; 
he  had  championed  her  purity  and  innocence  in 
the  face  of  all  opposition  ;  and  it  was  inexpressi- 
bly shocking  to  him  to  find  himself  forced  to  con- 
sider even  the  possibility  of  her  being  connected 
with  such  a  nefarious  transaction. 

Yet  he  felt  it  only  just  to  face  the  evidence 


288  Parlous  Times 

against  her,  and  seek  to  the  best  of  his  ability  to 
rebut  it. 

What  reasons  were  there  for  supposing  her  to 
be  connected  with  the  plot  to  defeat  the  treaty  ? 
He  placed  them  in  order  of  their  occurrence. 

1.  He  had  seen  her  driving  with  Mr.  Riddle  on 
the  day  after  his  dinner. 

2.  She  had  denied  her  acquaintance  with  Darcy, 
in  his  presence,  to  that  gentleman's  wife,  though 
she  had  since  been  proven  to  be  very  intimate 
with  him. 

3.  She  had  proposed  a  game  of  cards,  and  sug- 
gested Stanley's  using  an  old  letter  to  score  on, 
which  proposal  and  suggestion   had  led  to  the 
restoration    of    the    secret   instructions   to    Mr. 
Riddle. 

4.  Kent-Lauriston  said  she  had  asked  Kings- 
land  to  take   the  chests  containing  the  money  to 
London. 

5.  She  had  been  in  the  hall  late  the  night  be- 
fore, assisting  Darcy  to  break  open  the  door. 

This  was  all  the  evidence  against  her.  Did  it 
prove  that  she  was  a  partner  to  the  plot  ? 

No,  he  told  himself.     It  did  not. 

Did  it  prove  that  she  was  a  dupe  of  these  men  ? 
An  innocent  instrument  in  the  furtherance  of  their 
vile  conspiracy  ? 

He  was  forced  to  admit  the  possibility  of  this, 
though  he  told  himself  he  knew  her  too  well  to 
believe  for  an  instant  that  she  had  any  knowledge 
of  the  plot  itself,  or  the  desperate  game  her  friends 
were  playing.  It  now  became  his  duty  to  save 


The  Marriage  Register  289 

the  Irish  girl  from  the  consequences  of  her  own 
folly ;  to  open  her  eyes  to  the  true  character  of 
her  friends.  He  could  only  do  this  by  proving 
their  complicity.  The  destruction  of  the  plot, 
and  her  salvation  alike,  hung  on  the  recovery  of 
that  lost  letter,  for  in  the  light  of  the  events  of  the 
past  night,  it  seemed  fair  to  assume  that  this  paper 
had  an  important  bearing  on  the  conspiracy,  and 
was  necessary  to  its  success. 

The  money  had  been  sent,  the  time  was  short, 
but  Darcy  still  remained.  Why  did  he  do  so, 
unless  it  was  to  attempt  a  recovery  of  the  docu- 
ment ?  It  must,  then,  be  of  vital  importance. 

Having  arrived  at  these  conclusions,  Stanley 
found  himself  committed  to  one  of  two  courses 
of  action :  either  to  play  the  spy  on  the  move- 
ments of  his  friends,  or  to  effect  the  opening  of 
the  door  with  the  silver  nails.  The  first  was 
repugnant  to  his  spirit  as  a  gentleman,  and  he  in- 
stantly chose  the  second,  believing  that  within 
the  portal  lay  the  only  real  clue  he  had  so  far  ob- 
tained. This  plan  also  had  the  added  recommen- 
dation of  placing  in  his  hand  evidence  which 
would  not  involve  the  introduction  of  Miss  Fitz- 
gerald's name  in  the  matter. 

Having  thus  mapped  out  his  course  of  action, 
and  finding  there  was  still  an  hour  before  lunch, 
he  descended  to  the  lawn,  and  made  a  preliminary 
inspection  of  the  exterior  walls  of  the  old  manor 
house.  It  might  be  possible  to  enter  in  some 
other  way  than  by  the  oaken  door  which  remained 
so  obstinately  closed.  The  building  was  of  stone, 


Parlous  Times 

and  two  stories  in  height,  though  most  irregular 
in  form,  having  been  added  to  and  altered  during 
succeeding  generations,  as  suited  the  taste  of  the 
owner  of  the  period.  The  north-east  end,  how- 
ever, instead  of  having  a  corner,  was  slightly 
rounded,  and  above  the  level  of  the  roof  assumed 
the  shape  of  a  circular  tower,  rising  some  forty 
feet  higher  than  the  rest  of  the  structure,  and  sur- 
mounted by  crumbling  battlements.  Even  an  in- 
experienced eye  might  detect  that  the  door  with 
the  silver  nails  gave  entrance  to  this  tower,  which 
Stanley  was  sure  did  not  assume,  in  the  lower 
storey  at  least,  a  space  commensurate  with  its 
diameter  above.  Probably  the  door  communi- 
cated with  a  narrow  winding  stair  for  the  first, 
and  perhaps  the  second,  floors,  the  real  space  of 
the  structure  being  contained  in  the  portion  which 
arose  detached.  This  conjecture  could  easily  be 
verified  by  measuring.  At  the  first  convenient 
opportunity  he  determined  to  make  these  prelim- 
inary investigations.  It  was  said  that  the  tower 
possessed  no  windows,  and  certainly  this  was  the 
case,  unless  they  gave  on  the  leads ;  for,  from  the 
ground,  it  presented  everywhere  a  blank  wall  of 
solid  masonry,  to  which  here  and  there  strands  of 
ivy  clung. 

"  But  they  must  have  got  their  light  from 
somewhere,"  he  said  to  himself.  "  Perhaps  from 
the  roof,  in  which  case  there  is  probably  some  an- 
tique form  of  scuttle  by  which  entrance  could  be 
had.  If  one  could  only  get  up  there  to  see—  but 
it's  not  a  likely  place  for  climbing.  There  should 


The  Marriage  Register  291 

be  the  remains  of  an  old  flag-staff  or  cresset,  or 

something  of  that  nature "  and  he  walked 

slowly  backwards  across  the  lawn,  hoping  to  re- 
duce the  visual  angle  sufficiently  to  see  any  slight 
projection  above  the  battlements,  but  in  vain  ; 
and  he  was  about  to  abandon  his  backward  course 
and  return  to  the  house,  when  a  soft  voice  mur- 
mured at  his  elbow  : — 

"Star-gazing  by  daylight?"  and  he  turned,  to 
find  himself  close  beside  Madame  Darcy. 

"  Oh,  good-morning,"  he  said,  lifting  his  hat. 
"  I  beg  your  pardon,  but  I  was  trying  to  discover 
the  remains  of  some  superstructure  on  those  bat- 
tlements." 

"Why  not  go  up  and  see?" 

"  That  is  what  many  people  have  wished  to  do 
for  the  last  two  hundred  years,  but  the  only  door 
of  entrance  is  shut,  and  no  man  knows  the  secret 
of  the  lock." 

"  And  do  you  mean  to  discover  it  ?  " 

"  I'm  afraid  it  would  only  be  a  waste  of  time, 
for  probably  the  whole  thing  is  so  disgustingly 
simple  that  everyone  has  overlooked  it.  How- 
ever, the  present,  as  represented  by  you,  is  infi- 
nitely more  interesting  ;  let  the  old  tower  guard 
the  secret  it  has  kept  so  long;  who  wants  to 
know  it?" 

"  My  husband  ! "  she  replied. 

"  Quite  so,"  said  the  Secretary.  "  And  that  re- 
minds me,  I  hope  you  reached  home  quite  safely 
last  night,  and  have  felt  no  ill  effects  from  it." 

"  None  in  body,"  she  returned  sadly,  "  but,  of 


292  Parlous  Times 

course,  what  I  saw  could  not  but  add  to  my  dis- 
tress of  mind.  Tell  me  what  happened  after  I 
left." 

"  Nothing  particular,"  said  Stanley.  "  We  all 
kept  our  tempers  and  were  very  polite." 

"  Then  there  was  no  disturbance  ?  " 

"  None  whatever;  the  Colonel  was  quite  amen- 
able to  reason  and  went  away  quietly." 

"  But  Mr.  Kent-Lauriston  ?  " 

"  Oh,  he's  too  much  a  man  of  the  world  not  to 
know  when  to  hold  his  tongue." 

"  You  will  not  tell  your  hostess  ?  Promise  me 
that.  Badly  as  he  has  treated  me,  I  am  still  his 
wife,  and  his  honour  is  yet  mine." 

"  I  will  keep  your  secret.  If  he  is  discovered  in 
the  house,  someone  else  must  do  it." 

"  Oh,  you're  indeed  my  friend  !  "  she  cried  im- 
pulsively. "  I  can  never  forget  your  goodness  to 
me.  There  are,  I'm  sure,  few  men  like  you  in  the 
world." 

The  Secretary  flushed  under  her  praise,  and 
disclaiming  any  inherent  superiority  to  the  other 
members  of  his  race,  hastened  to  change  the  sub- 
ject by  saying : — 

"  Tell  me,  are  you  succeeding  any  better  with 
your  proofs  against  your  husband  on  another 
charge  ?  " 

"  I've  made  a  discovery  this  morning  which  has 
greatly  disturbed  me.  I  do  not  know  how  to 
act." 

"  What  have  you  found  ?  " 

"  I've  compared  the  handwriting  of  the  letters  I 


The  Marriage  Register  293 

hold,  with  the  handwriting  of  the  most  recent 
entry  in  the  marriage  register  of  this  church." 

"  Good  Heavens !     It  surely  can't  tally !  " 

"  It  does,  and  with  the  name  of  the  bride." 

The  Secretary  was  simply  staggered, — Lady 
Isabelle — it  was  impossible  on  the  face  of  it. 

"  You're  mistaken,"  he  said  coldly.  "  Such 
charges  against  the  lady  to  whom  you  refer  are 
impossible." 

"  You  know  of  this  marriage  then  ?  " 

"  Yes — I'm  even  popularly  supposed  to  be 
engaged  to  the  bride  !  " 

"  But  you  are  not — tell  me  you  are  not." 

"  Of  course  I'm  not — I've  never  had  the  slight- 
est interest  in  her,  except  as  a  friend." 

"  You  relieve  me  immensely.  To  lay  such 
charges  at  the  door  of  one  you  loved — to  break 
your  heart — I  could  not  have  done  it." 

"  You  could  not  do  it  in  any  event — to  a  woman 
of  her  nature  such  things  would  be  impossible.  I 
assure  you,  it  is  some  grievous  mistake." 

She  shook  her  head. 

"  Why  should  my  husband  be  a  witness  to  this 
secret  marriage  ?  " 

"  Was  he ?  " 

"  Sh  !  "  she  said,  "  he  is  coming,"  and  disap- 
peared so  silently  into  the  bushes  that  she  seemed 
to  fade  away  from  his  sight.  A  moment  later, 
the  dry  leaves  crackled  under  a  man's  foot,  and 
Colonel  Darcy  stood  before  him. 

"  We  have  not  had  our  little  meeting  yet,  Mr. 
Stanley,"  he  said  abruptly. 


294  Parlous  Times 

"  When  do  you  leave  this  vicinity,  Colonel 
Darcy  ?  "  asked  the  Secretary,  ignoring  the  other's 
remark. 

"  When  you  do.  Till  then  I  remain  here  to 
guard  my  honour." 

"  You  surely  are  not  trying  to  live  up  to  that 
absurd  fable !  " 

"Why  not,  when  my  wife  has  this  moment  left 
you?" 

"  You  have  sharp  eyes,  Colonel,"  replied  the 
Secretary,  turning  on  his  heel,  and  walking  towards 
the  house. 

"  I  need  to  have,  Mr.  Stanley,"  remarked  the 
other,  as  he  watched  him  go. 

"  Kent-Lauriston,"  said  the  Secretary,  when 
they  were  alone  after  lunch,  "  affairs  have  taken  a 
startling  turn  since  I  last  saw  you." 

"  I  think  so  myself." 

"  Have  you  been  making  discoveries?  " 

"  I  don't  know  that  they  can  be  dignified  by 
that  name  ;  but  tell  me  of  yours." 

"  Madame  Darcy  assures  me  that  the  letters 
which  she  holds,  and  on  which  she  bases  her  case 
against  her  husband,  are  in  the  same  handwriting 
as  the  name  of  Lady  Isabella,  in  the  parish 
register." 

"  Lady  Isabelle !  " 

"  Yes.     It's  absurd,  isn't  it  ?  " 

"  Perfectly  so — you  may  take  my  word  for  it. 
But  do  you  assure  me  that  she  said  '  Lady 
Isabelle'?" 


The  Marriage  Register  295 

"  We  mentioned  no  names,  of  course.  She  said 
that  the  bride's  signature  corresponded — it's  the 
same  thing." 

"  Ah,  I  see.  I  think  you've  made  a  little  mistake 
about  this  affair,  my  boy.  I've  seen  the  register 
myself." 

"Good  Heavens!  You  don't  mean — you 
can't !  "  exclaimed  Stanley,  a  sickening  sus- 
picion dominating  his  mind. 

"  I  mean,"  replied  Kent-Lauriston,  "  that  the 
maiden  name  of  the  bride,  as  written  there,  is  not 
Isabelle  McLane,  but  Isabelle  Fitzgerald." 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

TWO    QUESTIONS 

KENT-LAURISTON  fully  realised  that  the  strong 
hold  which  he  possessed  over  the  Secretary  rested, 
more  than  anything  else,  on  the  fact  that  his 
opinions  were  entirely  reliable ;  and  it  was  most 
important  that  Stanley's  confidence  in  his  friend's 
dicta  should  remain  unimpaired,  if  that  friend 
hoped  to  be  able  to  guide  him.  Therefore,  much 
as  the  Englishman  would  have  liked  to  voice  his 
suspicions  for  the  Secretary's  benefit,  he  deter- 
mined to  keep  silence  till  he  had  full  verification 
of  his  conjectures,  and  for  this  purpose  he  sought 
out  Madame  Darcy. 

He  found  her  at  home,  and  she  welcomed  him 
courteously. 

"  Will  you  think  me  very  presuming/  he  said, 
"  to  have  called  on  you  in  the  interests  of  a  mutual 
friend  of  ours,  Mr.  Stanley?" 

"  Any  friend  of  Mr.  Stanley's  can  claim  and 
receive  friendship  of  me,"  she  replied,  a  beautiful 
light  coining  over  her  expressive  face,  "  for  he  has 
done  me  kindnesses  that  I  can  never  forget  or 
repay." 

"  It  is  in  virtue  of  that,  that  I've  ventured  to 
intrude  myself  upon  you  this  afternoon.  You 

have,  like  myself,  a  great  interest  in  his  welfare, 
296 


Two  Questions  297 

I'm  sure,  and  I  am  come  to  make  common  cause 
with  you  for  his  good." 

"  You  could  have  come  to  no  one  more  willing — 
but  will  you  do  me  the  honour  to  accept  a  seat  in 
the  garden,  where  we  can  chat  more  at  leisure." 

"  I  shall  be  charmed,"  he  said,  and  she  led  the 
way  to  a  rustic  bench,  under  the  spreading 
branches  of  a  gnarled,  old  apple-tree. 

"  Our  friend  makes  no  secrets  of  his  own  affairs 
from  me,  you  must  understand,"  Kent-Lauriston 
began,  after  assuring  himself  that  they  were  alone, 
"  and  I  imagine,  from  what  he's  said,  that  he's 
given  you  some  inkling  of  his  heart  troubles." 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  "  he  hinted  to  me  in  London 
that  he  had  some  affair  under  consideration  ;  but 
I  do  not  think  he  felt  deeply — as  he  should  have 
felt.  I  trust  it's  not  turned  out  seriously." 

"  Not  as  yet,  I'm  glad  to  say — but  he's  in  some 
danger ;  and,  believe  me,  you  could  not  be  doing 
him  a  greater  service,  than  in  helping  to  ward  off 
this  peril,  which  would  be  the  ruin  of  his  life." 

"  Indeed,  yes, — but  what  means  have  I  ?  " 

"  I  believe  you  have  it  in  your  power  to  prove 
that  the  woman  who  has  bewitched  him,  is  un- 
worthy of  his  love.  Let  him  realise  this  and  he 
is  saved." 

"  But,  surely,  you're  not  alluding  to  the  lady 
who  formed  our  topic  of  conversation  this  morn- 
ing?" 

"  I  fear  I  am." 

"  But  Mr.  Stanley  assured  me  that  she  was 
nothing  to  him." 


298  Parlous  Times 

"  You  were  talking  at  cross  purposes,  and  unin- 
tentionally deceiving  each  other." 

"  How  so  ?  " 

"  Why,  there  are  two  versions  of  the  story  of 
that  marriage.  The  version  Mr.  Stanley  had  been 
told  runs  to  this  effect : — that  Lieutenant  Kings- 
land  married  Lady  Isabelle  McLane." 

"  But  the  register— 

"Says  she  didn't.  I  know,  I've  seen  it;  but 
our  young  friend  has  not,  or  had  not  when  he  last 
saw  you." 

"  Then  he  thought  I  was  referring  to  Lady 
Isabelle?" 

"  Exactly.  No  names  were  mentioned,  he  told 
me." 

"  True — but  this  is  most  unfortunate  !  Do  you 
see  my  position  ?  " 

"  Believe  me,  I'm  fully  informed  on  the  matter, 
so  that  I'll  not  put  you  to  the  pain  of  relating 
it." 

She  bowed  her  silent  thanks,  and  then  con- 
tinued : — 

"  The  fact  of  this  lady's  marriage  ties  my  hands. 
Deeply  as  she  has  wronged  me,  have  I  any  right 
to  ruin  her  husband's  life  by  her  exposure?  If 
she  has  reformed— 

"  My  dear  Madame  Darcy,  pray  disabuse  your 
mind  of  two  misconceptions  :  the  lady  in  ques- 
tion, ft*iss  Fitzgerald,  has  not  reformed,  and  I 
doubt  if  the  marriage  is  legal.  There's  some 
trick  about  it." 

"  What  you've  told  me  leaves  me  free  to  act 


Two  Questions  299 

where  my  own  honour  is  concerned  ;  but  I  natu- 
rally feel  a  delicacy  about  interfering  in  Mr. 
Stanley's  private  affairs." 

"  Believe  me,  I  fully  appreciate  your  hesitation  ; 
but  that  there  may  be  no  misunderstanding  be- 
tween us  regarding  this  important  matter,  let  me 
tell  you  something  of  my  friend's  present  position. 
I  ask  you  to  accept  my  word  for  it,  that  he's  not 
as  yet  bound  himself  to  Miss  Fitzgerald  ;  but  his 
high  sense  of  honour  may  lead  him  to  do  so,  if 
he  knows  nothing  definite  against  her." 

"  I  see,  and  you  want  me  to  show  him  these 
letters?"  and  she  took  a  little  packet  from  her 
bosom.  ' 

"  No,  I  wouldn't  subject  you  to  such  a  trying 
ordeal.  I  ask  you  to  let  me  show  the  letters  to 
him.  Remember  that  you've  told  him  that  you 
have  them." 

"Yes,"  she  said,  after  a  moment's  hesitation. 
"  I  think  you're  right.  You  assure  me  that  he 
does  not  love  her,  and  that  there's  positive 
danger  that  he  may  marry  her  from  a  sense  of 
duty." 

"  I  assure  you  that  such  is  the  case." 

"  Then  take  them,"  she  said,  giving  him  the 
letters;  "but  promise  me  that  no  one  besides 
yourselves  shall  see  them,  and  that  they  shall  be 
safely  returned  to  me  by  to-morrow." 

"  I  promise,"  he  replied,  "  and  take  i../  assur- 
rance  that  in  doing  this  you've  more  than  repaid 
him  for  any  services  he  may  have  done  you." 

"  You  cannot  persuade  me  to  believe  that ;  but 


3oo  Parlous  Times 

I'm  thankful  to  help  where  I'm  able,  though  it 
be  only  a  little,  and  I  am  even  more  thankful 
that  he  has  such  a  strong  champion  in  you." 

Kent-Lauriston  took  her  extended  hand. 

"  Thank  you,"  he  said  heartily.  "  Stanley's  a 
good  fellow ;  too  good  and  too  unsophisticated 
for  the  people  he's  thrown  with,  and  I'm  going  to 
save  him  from  himself  if  I  can,  both  now  and  in 
the  future." 

She  looked  up  at  him  with  a  wistful  light  in 
her  eyes,  saying : 

"  Perhaps  you'll  be  wishing  to  save  him  from 
me — who've  already  one  husband  too  many." 

"  I  don't  know,"  replied  Kent-Lauriston,  with 
an  English  bluntness,  of  which  he  was  not  often 
culpable. 

She  laughed  merrily,  answering  : 

"  I  hope  you'll  do  so,  if  ever  I  give  you  cause." 

"  Madame,"  he  returned,  "  what  can  I  do  ? 
You've  disarmed  me,  even  before  the  first  skir- 
mish." 


The  feelings  of  Stanley  on  looking  at  the  mar- 
riage register  were  difficult  to  describe.  In  the 
first  shock  of  the  discovery  his  brain  whirled. 
The  mystery  had  become  a  maze,  and  he  felt  the 
imperative  need  of  a  solution  of  the  subject  to 
steady  his  mind.  Accordingly,  he  had  that  even- 
ing a  fixed  purpose  in  view,  which  dominated  all 
matters  of  the  moment ;  and  though  at  dinner  he 
talked  about  something,  he  knew  not  what,  during 


Two  Questions  301 

the  greater  part  of  the  meal  his  eyes  and  thoughts 
were  almost  continually  on  the  amiable  blunder- 
ing, little  old  pastor,  whom  he  had  marked  out 
as  his  prey.  When  the  ladies  left  the  table,  and 
the  men  adjourned  to  the  smoking-room,  he  never 
lost  sight  of  him  ;  but  the  dominie,  as  if  warned 
by  some  instinct,  contrived  to  slip  out  of  the 
Secretary's  grasp,  to  elude  him  in  corners,  and, 
smiling,  vanquish  him  in  every  attempt  at  an 
interview.  At  last,  however,  the  opportunity 
came — a  move  was  made  to  the  drawing-room. 
In  a  fatal  moment,  the  parson  lingered  for  one 
last  whiff  of  his  half-smoked  and  regretfully  re- 
linquished cigar,  and  the  Secretary  saw,  with  a 
sigh  of  relief,  the  last  coat-tail  vanish  through  the 
door,  which  he  softly  closed. 

The  click  of  the  latch  brought  the  Reverend 
Reginald  back  to  the  present  with  an  uncom- 
fortable start. 

"  Oh,"  he  cried,  tumbling  out  of  his  chair,  "  I 
didn't  see  the  others  had  got  away  so  quickly. 
Very  kind  of  you  to  wait  for  me,  I'm  sure — very 
— we  must  lose  no  time  in  joining  the  ladies, 
must  we,  eh?" 

"  Only  a  little,  a  very  little  time,  Mr.  Lambert," 
replied  the  Secretary,  leaning  squarely  against  the 
closed  door,  which  formed  the  sole  exit  from  the 
room.  "  Just  long  enough  to  ask  you  one  ques- 
tion." 

"  Really,  I'm  sure,"  said  the  little  man,  becom- 
ing flustered.  "  Another  time  perhaps — I  should 
have  the  greatest  pleasure " 


302  Parlous  Times 

"  You  have,  I  know,  performed  the  marriage 
ceremony  in  the  last  few  days,"  began  Stanley 
calmly. 

"  To  be  sure — yes,  certainly — but  this — permit 
me  to  suggest,  is  hardly  the  place  to  discuss  my 
parochial  duties." 

"  Of  course  anyone  married  from  this  house 
would  have  to  be  married  by  you." 

"  I'm  in  charge  of  this  living,  Mr.  Stanley,  there 
is  no  one  else." 

"  I  know  that,  and  also  that  your  nearest  col- 
league— excuse  me  if  I  use  a  professional  term — 
is  some  distance  off." 

"  Fifteen  miles.  And  now  that  I've  answered 
all  of  your  questions,  let  us  waste  no  more  time 
before  joining  the  ladies." 

"  Excuse  me,  Mr.  Lambert,  but  I've  not  as  yet 
asked  you  a  question.  I've  made  a  number  of 
statements,  and  you've  furnished  me  with  a  good 
deal  of  gratuitous  information,  for  which  I'm 
deeply  obliged.  We  now  come  to  the  pith  of  the 
whole  matter,  which  is  simply  this.  Did  you,  or 
did  you  not,  marry  Lady  Isabelle  McLane  to  Lieu- 
tenant Kingsland?" 

"  What !     The  lady  to  whom  you're  engaged  ?  " 

"  Could  I  be  engaged  to  a  married  woman,  Mr. 
Lambert  ?  " 

"  My  dear  sir,  you  may  take  my  word  for  it,  I 
did  not.  I  shouldn't  think  of  such  a  thing.  Let 
me  assure  you  on  the  honour  of  my  sacred  office, 
that  Lady  Isabelle  is  not,  and  cannot  be  married 
to  Lieutenant  Kingsland." 


Two  Questions  303 

"  Ah,  then  Kingsland  is  married." 

The  parson  caught  his  breath  in  his  relief  at 
the  escape  from  the  dreaded  question,  which  he 
had  supposed  was  inevitable.  He  had  been  too 
confidential. 

"  I  did  not  say  so,  sir,"  he  replied  with  dignity. 

"Quite  true,  Mr.  Lambert,  you  did  not  say  so," 
persisted  his  tormentor,  opening  the  door,  "  and 
so  I  suppose  you'd  prefer  not  to  have  me  ask  if 
you  married  Miss  Fitzgerald  to  Lieutenant  Kings- 
land  ?  " 

"  I  would  certainly  prefer  not  to  answer  that 
question,  and  now  I  must  really  go  upstairs ; " 
and  without  waiting  for  further  parley,  the  little 
man  scuttled  out  of  the  room. 

Stanley  was  preparing  to  follow  him  at  his 
leisure,  when  the  door  opened,  and  Kent-Lauriston 
entered. 

"  Kent-Lauriston  !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  You're 
the  very  man  I  want !  I  must  speak  with  you  !  " 

"  I  know  it,"  replied  his  friend,  "  but  not  before 
I've  had  my  smoke." 

"  But  this  matter  admits  of  no  delay." 

"  Oh  yes,  it  does.  That's  one  of  the  fallacies  of 
modern  civilisation.  Every  important  question 
admits  of  delay,  and  most  matters  are  all  the 
better  for  it." 

"  But  I've  seen  the  register!  " 

"  Of  course  you  have,  but  you  haven't  seen  a 
deduction  that  is  as  plain  as  the  nose  on  your 
face,  or  you  wouldn't  now  be  trying  to  ruin  my 
digestion.  I'll  meet  you  here  at  ten  o'clock  this 


304  Parlous  Times 

evening  and  then,  and  not  an  instant  sooner,  will 
I  discuss  your  private  affairs." 

"  You  English  are  so  irritatingly  slow  !  " 

"  My  dear  fellow,  we've  made  our  history — 
you're  making  yours.  You  can't  afford  to  miss  a 
few  days;  we  can  easily  spare  a  few  centuries. 
Now  be  a  good  boy,  and  leave  me  to  peace  and 
tobacco.  Join  the  ladies,  and  pay  a  little  attention 
to  one  of  your  fianc/es" 

So  it  was  that  Stanley  found  himself  relegated 
to  the  drawing-room,  and  feeling  decidedly  upset, 
he  good-naturedly  determined  to  see  what  he  could 
do  towards  upsetting  the  equanimity  of  the  rest 
of  the  party.  In  this,  however,  he  was  partially 
forestalled  by  the  good  parson,  who  had  not  been 
wasting  the  few  minutes  of  ^race,  which  the  Sec- 
retary's conversation  with  Kent-Lauriston  had 
allotted  to  him. 

No  sooner  had  Mr.  Lambert  entered  the  draw- 
ing-room, than  he  sought  out  Miss  Fitzgerald,  and 
confided  to  her  an  astonishing  discovery  he  had 
made  in  the  church  register. 

"  Most  careless  of  me,  I  assure  you,"  he  apolo- 
gised. "  I  should  have  noticed  of  course — people 
often  make  nervous  mistakes  at  times  like  those  ; 
but  it  was  not  till  this  morning  that  I  discovered 
that  Lady  Isabelle  had  written  her  name  in  the 
space  reserved  for  the  bride,  and  you  in  the 
space  reserved  for  the  witness." 

"  Well  ? "  asked  Miss  Fitzgerald,  her  voice 
ringing  hard  and  cold  as  steel. 

"  Oh,  it's   all    right,   my   dear,"   the   old   man 


Two  Questions  305 

quavered  on.  "  Quite  all  right,  I  corrected  it 
myself.  I  can  do  a  neat  bit  of  work  still,  even  if 
my  hands  do  tremble  a  little.  I  cut  out  the 
names,  reversed  them,  and  put  them  back  in  their 
proper  places,  and  I'd  defy  any  but  an  expert  to 
see  that  they'd  been  tampered  with.  I'm  sure  that 
none  of  the  people  who've  seen  the  book  since 
suspected  the  change." 

"Who  has  seen  the  book?"  she  asked,  frozen 
with  horror. 

"  After  I  corrected  the  register  ?  " 

"Yes!     Yes!     Who?" 

"  Dear  me — let  me  see !  That  was  this  morning. 
Now  who  was  there  ?  Ah  ! — I  remember.  A 
strange  lady  in  black,  very  beautiful,  and  Mr. 
Kent-Lauriston." 

Miss  Fitzgerald  shuddered. 

"  Dear,  dear  ! "  cried  the  parson.  "  You're 
cold — the  draught  from  the  window — let  me  get 
you  a  wrap." 

"  No,  no,  I'm  quite  warm,  thank  you.  You're 
sure  that  no  one  else  saw  the  register  ?  " 

"  No  one — except  Mr.  Stanley." 

"You  must  excuse  me,  Mr.  Lambert,"  she 
said.  "  I'm  not  feeling  very  well." 

"  You  are  faint  ?  Is  there  nothing  I  can  do  for 
you  ?  " 

"  Nothing  more,  thank  you,"  and  she  swept 
past  him  across  the  room,  to  where  Lady  Isabelle 
was  seated  on  a  sofa. 

"  Nothing  more,"  murmured  the  little  man,  after 
she  had  left  him  ;  "  but  I  hadn't  begun  to  do  any- 

20 


306  Parlous  Times 

thing ;  and  she  seemed  quite  faint.  Dear,  dear, 
she  looks  strong,  but  to  be  so  easily  upset.  I 
fear  something  must  be  wrong — my  daughter  was 
never  like  that,"  and,  shaking  his  head,  he  went 
to  join  the  Dowager,  who  had  a  penchant  for  the 
clergy. 

"  You've  heard  nothing  from  your  husband  ?  " 
asked  Miss  Fitzgerald  of  Lady  Isabelle,  as  she 
seated  herself  beside  her. 

"  Nothing  beyond  a  telegram  telling  me  of  his 
safe  arrival  in  London." 

"  But  surely  his  uncle  was  in  extremis.  He 
cannot  live  long." 

"  I  do  not  know,"  she  replied,  "  but  it's  very 
awkward.  Oh,  why  won't  you  let  me  tell  Mr. 
Stanley  the  truth  ?  " 

"  Sh !  He's  coming,"  murmured  Miss  Fitz- 
gerald, and,  indeed,  the  Secretary  was  advancing 
deliberately  towards  them  ;  a  thing  suggestive  in 
itself,  considering  how  he  had  striven  to  avoid 
them  all  day  long. 

"  Miss  Fitzgerald,"  he  said  very  quietly,  as  he 
stood  before  them,  "  will  you  permit  me  to  ask 
you  a  question  ?  " 

"If  it's  a  proper  question  to  ask,  Mr.  Stanley.'' 

"  It  is  eminently  proper  and  fitting,"  he  replied, 
coldly. 

"  Would  you  rather  that  I  went  ?  "  suggested 
Lady  Isabelle,  half  rising. 

"  I  would  rather  you  stayed." 

"  Don't  be  so  dreadfully  mysterious,  Jimsy !  " 
cried  Miss  Fitzgerald,  with  a  forced  laugh  that 


Two  Question  307^ 

grated  on  the  ears  of  both  her  hearers.  "  Out 
with  your  dreadful  question.  What  is  it?" 

"  It  is  this,"  he  replied.  "  Are  you  Jack  Kings- 
land's  wife  ?  " 

For  a  moment  there  was  absolute  silence.  The 
Secretary  stood  looking  straight  in  the  face  of  the 
Irish  girl,  without  moving  a  muscle.  Lady  Isa- 
belle  gave  a  smothered  exclamation,  and  gripped 
her  companion's  wrist  with  all  her  force,  flushing 
red  as  she  did  so.  Miss  Fitzgerald  bit  her  lip,  and 
stared  hard  at  Stanley  for  the  fraction  of  a 
minute  ;  then,  breaking  into  her  hard  metallic 
laugh,  she  cried  : 

"  Why,  you  foolish  boy !  What  can  you  be 
thinking  of?" 

"  You've  not  answered  my  question,"  he  re- 
plied. 

"  Why,  what  is  there  to  answer  ?  " 

"  I  ask  you — Are  you  Lieutenant  Kingsland's 
wife?"  he  repeated  harshly — betraying  the  first 
sign  of  temper  he  had  so  far  evinced,  which  Miss 
Fitzgerald  saw  and  was  quick  to  profit  by.  What- 
ever was  coming — there  was,  in  Lady  Isabelle's 
presence,  but  one  course  open  to  her — she  looked 
her  accuser  boldly  in  the  face  and  said : 

"  No,  I'm  not  Lieutenant  Kingsland's  wife." 

"  You  are  quite  sure  of  what  you  are  saying  ?  " 

"  I  repeat,  I  am  not  his  wife.  I  have  not 
married  him,  put  it  how  you  please.  Do  you 
doubt  my  word?  If  you're  so  anxious  to  know 
whom  Lieutenant  Kingsland  married,  ask  your 
fiancee,  Lady  Isabelle ;  perhaps  she  can  tell  you." 


308  Parlous  Times 

"  It  is  not  necessary  to  ask  Lady  Isabelle  if  she 
is  Lieutenant  Kingsland's  wife — because " 

"  Because  she  has  already  told  you  so,"  broke 
in  Miss  Fitzgerald. 

"  Because,"  continued  Stanley,  in  the  same 
colourless,  dogged  tone,  "  because  Mr.  Lambert, 
the  one  person  who  could  have  made  Kingsland 
and  Lady  Isabelle  man  and  wife,  has  solemnly 
assured  me  that  he  did  not  perform  the  marriage 

ceremony  between  them "  and  he  turned  on 

his  heel  and  left  the  room. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

IN  WHICH  DEATH  IS  A  RELIEF 

AFTER  Stanley  had  left  them,  Isabella  Kings- 
land  and  Isabelle  Fitzgerald  sat  silent  for  a 
while,  looking  into  each  other's  faces,  the  brain 
of  each  throbbing  with  a  tumult  of  agitating 
thoughts.  The  Englishwoman  voicing  to  herself 
a  subtle  suggestion  of  coming  evil,  which  had 
been  omnipresent  since  her  marriage  day,  an  in- 
stinctive presentiment  that  all  was  not  well :  the 
Irish  girl  feeling  strongly  irritated  at  this  last  of 
the  many  annoying  contretemps  of  the  week  ;  and 
smarting  under  a  sense  of  injustice  that,  when  she 
had  merely  practised  a  little  harmless  deception  for 
a  friend's  sake,  that  friend  should  leave  the  field 
and  the  eminently  disagreeable  explanations  to 
her. 

She  vented  her  feelings  by  a  shrug  of  the  shoul- 
ders, which  broke  the  tension  of  the  silence. 

"  Tell  me — on  your  honour,  tell  me,"  cried  Lady 
Isabelle,  "  that  he  did  not  speak  the  truth  ;  that 
I  am  married  to  Lieutenant  Kingsland  ! " 

"  Of  course  you're  married  to  Lieutenant  Kings- 
land,"  replied  Miss  Fitzgerald,  with  a  little  sigh 
of  resignation.  "  You  read  your  licence,  didn't 
you  ?  " 

309 


3io  Parlous  Times 

"  Yes.    But " 

"  But  that's  quite  sufficient — and  there's  no  oc- 
casion for  a  scene." 

"  It's  not  sufficient,  not  nearly  sufficient — there's 
something  that's  being  kept  back  from  me,  and  I 
want  to  know  the  truth  !  "  and  Lady  Isabelle  rose, 
becoming  quite  queenly  in  her  indignant  agitation. 

"  I've  been  uneasy  from  the  first  about  my  mar- 
riage,"  she  continued,  "  because  it  was  not  open 
as  I  should  have  wished.  I  knew  there  was  some 
mystery  about  it.  My  husband  admitted  as  much 
to  me  from  the  first,  and  he  did  not  need  to  tell 
me  that  you  were  the  prime  mover  in  the  affair. 
It  is  my  right  to  know  the  truth." 

"  The  assertion  of  people's  rights  is  responsible 
for  most  of  the  wrong  done  in  the  world.  Did 
your  husband  counsel  you  to  insult  his  best 
friend  ?  " 

"  He  didn't  wish  me  to  speak  to  you  on  the  sub- 
ject, but  I've  determined  to  take  matters  into  my 
own  hands.  In  the  face  of  Mr.  Stanley's  charges, 
I  must  know  the  truth." 

"You  had  better  obey  your  husband." 

"  I'm  responsible  to  him  for  that  matter,  not  to 
you,  Miss  Fitzgerald.  Now  tell  me,  what  did  Mr. 
Stanley  mean  ?  " 

"  He  meant  what  he  said." 

"  But  how  could  Mr.  Lambert  have  told  him  an 
untruth?" 

"Mr.  Lambert  told  him  what  he  believed  to  be 
the  truth  ;  and  that  was,  that  he  had  not  married 
you  and  Jack — Lieutenant  Kingsland,  I  mean." 


In  which  Death  is  a  Relief         311 

"  Was  that  all  he  told  him  ?  " 

"  I  should  think  it  highly  probable  that  he 
added  that  he  had  married  your  husband  to 
me." 

"  My  husband  to  you  !  " 

"  I  told  you  we'd  better  let  this  matter  alone." 

In  a  second  Lady  Isabelle's  hands  were  on  Miss 
Fitzgerald's  shoulders,  and  her  eyes  blazed  into 
the  eyes  of  the  Irish  girl. 

"  The  truth,  woman,  the  truth !  Is  he  my  hus- 
band ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Then  why  does  Mr.  Lambert ?  " 

"  Because  he  believes  that  I  was  the  bride." 

"  Did  you  tell  him  so  ?  " 

"  No,  but  when  I  went  to  make  the  arrange- 
ments he  blundered  into  the  mistake — and — well, 
I  didn't  take  the  trouble  to  correct  him." 

"  You  dared  !  " 

"  Yes,"  she  replied.  "  I'd  do  a  good  deal  for 
Jack — we  used  to  care  for  each  other  once." 

Her  Ladyship's  eyes  flashed  dangerously,  and 
Miss  Fitzgerald  hastened  to  add  : 

"  Of  course  that  was  all  over  long  ago — I  know 
Jack  too  well." 

"  How  dared  you  do  it  ? "  asked  her  accuser 
again. 

"  It  was  risky,  but  our  names  were  the  same, 
and  he's  half  blind  and  somewhat  deaf,  and  in  his 
dotage.  The  chances  of  escaping  detection  were 
good,  as  the  event  has  proved." 

"  How  dared  you  do  it  ?  " 


312  Parlous  Times 

"  Of  course  it  wasn't  my  affair  whether  Jack 
told  you  or  not.  It  was  legal  and  that's  the  main 
thing." 

"  How  dared  you  do  it  ?  " 

"  You  needn't  be  so  nasty  about  it ;  it  was 
merely  to  be  obliging.  If  you  think  it  amusing  to 
be  a  dummy  bride " 

"  Be  silent !  " 

"  The  two  women  stood  facing  each  other, 
breathing  hard,  as  though  resting  from  physical 
combat ;  the  face  of  one  expressing  infinite  con- 
tempt, of  the  other  infinite  anger.  At  this  junc- 
ture a  servant  brought  a  telegram  to  Lady  Isa- 
belle. 

Thankful  for  the  relief  from  an  awkward  pause, 
she  tore  it  open,  and  her  face  lit  up  as  she  read  its 
message. 

"  Still  in  London.  Uncle  died  this  morning, 
leaving  me  his  heir.  As  preliminaries  take  some 
time  to  arrange,  am  returning  to  you  to-morrow. 

"JACK." 

"  There  !  "  she  said,  showing  it  to  her  antago- 
nist. "  I  suppose  it's  wicked  to  rejoice  in  any 
one's  death  ;  but  it's  a  great  relief,  for  it  gives  me 
back  my  husband — and  he  shall  defend  me  from 
you  !  " 

"  I  don't  think  your  husband  will  be  down  on 
me." 

"  He'll  proclaim  the  truth  about  our  marriage. 
It  should  never  have  been  concealed,  least  of  all 
by  dishonourable  means." 


In  which  Death  is  a  Relief         313 

"  You  forget  yourself,  Lady  Isabelle." 

"  I  remember  what  is  due  my  position,  and  so 
will  Mr.  Lambert,  when  he  hears  how  grossly 
you've  deceived  him." 

"  You  mustn't  tell  him." 

"  It  will  not  be  necessary.  I've  only  to  ask  him 
to  look  at  the  marriage  register.  That  will  bear 
witness  to  the  truth,  I  know ;  for  I  signed  in  the 
proper  place  for  the  bride." 

Miss  Fitzgerald  drew  a  quick,  sharp  breath. 
She  had  trusted  to  be  spared  this  last  confes- 
sion. 

"  The  register  has  been  changed,"  she  said. 

"  Who  has  done  this  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Lambert,  supposing  there  had  been  a 
mistake." 

"  Then  Mr.  Lambert  will  change  it  back  again, 
to-morrow  morning  !  " 

"  You  mustn't  speak  to  him  of  this." 

"  I'll  speak  to  him  to-night." 

"  No." 

"  You've  no  right  to  interfere.  You've  no  right 
to  do  anything,  but  apologise  to  me  for  the  great 
wrong  you've  done  me !  " 

"  I  forbid  you  to  apprise  Mr.  Lambert  of  the 
true  state  of  affairs  till  your  husband  returns  to- 
morrow ! " 

"  I've  told  you  I  shall  see  him  to-night." 

"  I  forbid  you,  in  your  husband's  interests." 

"You  are  insolent." 

"  I'm  in  a  position  to  be  anything  I  choose," 

"Why?" 


314  Parlous  Times 

"  Because  I  have  your  husband  in  my  power." 

"  I  do  not  believe  it !  " 

"  If  I  choose  to  make  public,"  she  said,  laughing 
insolently,  "  the  manner  in  which  your  husband  is 
spending  his  time  in  London,  I  could  have  him 
cashiered  from  the  navy." 

Lady  Isabelle  drew  herself  up,  and  gave  her  ad- 
versary a  look  of  unutterable  scorn  and  contempt, 
saying : — 

"  You  will  probably  circulate  any  falsehood 
about  my  husband  that  you  please  ;  it  will  simply 
prove  to  others,  as  it  proves  to  me,  that  you  still 
do  love  him,  and  that  when  he  knew  your  true  char- 
acter he  left  you,"  and  turning  from  her  astonished 
and  indignant  rival,  she  quietly  crossed  the  length 
of  the  drawing-room,  to  where  the  Dowager  and 
the  parson  were  seated. 

"  Mother,"  she  said,  "  would  you  think  me  very 
rude  if  I  asked  for  Mr.  Lambert's  company  for  a  few 
moments  ?  I  want  to  have  a  serious  talk  with 
him." 

"  Not  **  all,  my  dear.  Just  take  my  place.  I 
promised  to  show  Mrs.  Roberts  a  new  embroidery 
stitch,"  replied  the  Dowager,  acquiescing  joyfully 
in  the  proposal. 

Satisfactory  on  the  whole  as  her  child's  training 
had  been,  on  the  point  of  her  religious  convictions, 
the  Marchioness  had  occasionally  felt  some  dis- 
turbing suspicions.  I  do  not  mean  that  Lady 
Isabelle  was  not  firmly  grounded  in  her  belief  of 
the  thirty-nine  articles ;  indeed,  she  was,  if  any- 
thing, a  trifle  too  orthodox  for  her  day  and  gener- 


In  which  Death  is  a  Relief         315 

ation ;  but  the  Dowager  knew  to  her  cost  that 
missions  were  a  tabooed  subject.  Her  daughter 
had  even  refused  to  slum  with  the  Viscountess 
Thistledown,  and  worse  than  all,  charity  bazaars, 
though  patronised  by  Royalty,  were  her  pet  aver- 
sions. To  the  Marchioness,  who  no  longer  "  sold 
well,"  and  whose  ambition  was  to  see  Lady  Isa- 
belle  tethered  in  the  next  stall  to  a  Princess,  such 
heresies  were  naturally  repugnant.  Mr.  Lambert 
was  very  strong  on  all  these  points,  and  had  just 
been  suggesting  to  her  a  scheme  of  his  own,  to 
raise  money  for  a  worthy  object,  conceived  on 
principles  that  would  have  put  the  authorities  of 
Monte  Carlo  to  the  blush.  So  she  patted  her 
daughter's  hand,  established  her  in  her  own  place, 
and  murmuring  that  she  was  glad  Isabelle  felt  the 
need  of  advice,  and  that  she  might  safely  rely  on 
"  dear  Mr.  Lambert's  wisdom  and — er — common- 
sense,"  betook  herself  to  Kensington  stitch  and  a 
remote  corner. 

But  her  daughter's  confidences  admitted  of  no 
publicity. 

"  Suppose  we  go  to  the  conservatory,  Mr.  Lam- 
bert," she  suggested,  "we're  quite  sure  of  finding 
it  unoccupied  at  this  hour,  and  I've  a  confession 
to  make." 

"  Certainly,  my  dear,  certainly,"  he  replied, 
following  her  in  the  direction  she  suggested. 
"  Though  I'm  sure,"  he  added,  "  that  Lady  Isa- 
belle would  have  done  nothing  which  she  would 
not  be  willing  that  anybody  should  know,  if  need 
were." 


316  Parlous  Times 

"  I  hope  not,"  she  answered,  and  a  moment  later 
they  were  alone. 

"  Come  now,"  he  said,  "  what  is  this  terrible 
confession ;  not  so  great  a  sin,  I'm  sure,  that  we 
cannot  easily  find  a  way  for  pardon  or  reforma- 
tion." 

"There's  no  sin  to  discuss,"  she  replied,  "at 
least,  none  that  I've  committed,  unless  uncon- 
scious participation  is  a  crime.  I  want  to  speak  to 
you  about  my  marriage." 

"  Ah,  yes ;  with  Mr.  Stanley — a  most  desirable 
arrangement,  I've  been  given  to  understand." 

"  No — not  with  Mr.  Stanley — I'm  speaking  of 
my  marriage  with  Lieutenant  Kingsland." 

"  But,  my  dear  young  lady,  that's  impossible. 
Lieutenant  Kingsland  is  already  married." 

"  Yes,  he's  married  to  me." 

"  To  you  ?     What  ?     How  can  he  be  ?  " 

"  Because  you  married  him  to  me  two  days 
ago." 

"  Nothing  of  the  sort,"  cried  the  old  man  in 
irritated  bewilderment.  "  I  married  him  to  Miss 
Fitzgerald." 

"  You  married  him  to  me,  Mr.  Lambert." 

"  But  I  ought  to  know  best  whom  I  married,  and 
to  whom,  Lady  Isabelle." 

"  You  ought  certainly ;  but,  in  this  case,  it  seems 
you  do  not." 

"  But  Miss  Fitzgerald  said— 

"  Ah,  that's  just  the  point.  What  did  Miss 
Fitzgerald  say  ?  " 

"  Really,   I   can't   remember  the  conversation, 


In  which  Death  is  a  Relief        317 

word  for  word ;  she  came  to  make  the  arrangements, 
and  I  inferred " 

"  Did  she  say  that  she  was  going  to  marry 
Lieutenant  Kingsland  ?  " 

"  She  certainly  gave  me  the  impression  that  such 
was  the  case." 

"  But  did  she  actually  say  so  ?  " 

The  old  man  was  lost  in  thought  for  a  moment, 
striving  to  recall  some  direct  admission,  but  at 
length  shook  his  head  sadly,  saying  : — 

"  No.  I  can't  remember  that  she  did,  in  so  many 
words ;  but  she  led  me  to  suppose — 

"  You've  inferred ;  you've  been  given  the  im- 
pression;  you've  been  led  to  suppose,  Mr.  Lambert, 
what  did  not  exist.  I  have,  however,  held  in  my 
hand  and  carefully  examined  the  special  licence 
under  which  you  performed  the  ceremony,  and 
which  was  drawn  for  a  marriage  between  Lieuten- 
ant Kingsland  and  myself.  I  was  the  bride 
whom  you  married ;  it  was  I  who  repeated  the 
vows  which  you  gave  me;  my  name  is  Isabelle, 
also,  remember,  and  it  was  I  who  signed  that  name 
as  '  bride  '  in  your  register,  where  it  should  be  now, 
if  you  had  not  changed  it." 

"  Bless  my  soul !  This  is  most  bewildering  ! 
You  say  I  married  you  to  Lieutenant  Kings- 
land  ?  " 

"Yes,  Mr.  Lambert,  you  did,  and  Miss  Fitz- 
gerald and  Colonel  Darcy  were  the  witnesses." 

"  But  this  is  a  serious  matter,  a  very  serious 
matter,  Lady  Isabelle.  This  wedding  seems  to 
have  been  performed  under  false  pretences." 


318  Parlous  Times 

"  I  imagine  you  would  not  find  it  difficult  to 
prove  that,  Mr.  Lambert ;  but  before  we  discuss 
the  matter  farther,  I  want  first  to  right  myself  in 
your  eyes,  to  assure  you  earnestly  and  honestly 
that  I  was  no  party  to  this  deception,  that  I  did 
not  know  till  this  evening,  till  just  now  indeed, 
that  you  were  not  perfectly  cognisant  of  all  the 
facts.  I  was  informed  at  the  time  that  all  arrange- 
ments had  been  made  with  you,  and  I  believed  of 
course  that  you  knew  everything.  I  was  also  told 
that  I  must  be  heavily  veiled  as,  owing  to  the 
proximity  of  the  early  service,  I  might  otherwise 
be  seen ;  the  signing  in  the  vestry  was  hurried 
over  as  you  know,  and  it  was  only  when,  in  re- 
sponse to  a  statement  of  Mr.  Stanley's,  I  made  in- 
quiries, that  I  discovered  the  truth.  You  believe 
me,  do  you  not,  Mr.  Lambert  ?  " 

"  Of  course,  my  dear.  I  must  believe  you  since 
you  give  me  your  word  for  it." 

"  Then  set  my  mind  at  rest.  Tell  me  this  mar- 
riage was  not  illegal." 

"  I  think  you  may  be  easy  on  that  score.  The 
licence  and  the  signatures  were  regular ;  all  the 
requirements  were  complied  with ;  and  the  prin- 
cipals, or  you  at  least,  acted  in  good  faith  ;  but 
the  affair  is  most  unfortunate." 

"  You  will  be  glad  to  learn  that  any  objection 
which  my  mother  might  have  had  to  my  husband 
has  now  been  removed." 

"  I  do  not  know  what  Lady  Port  Arthur  will 
think  of  my  part  in  this  deplorable  matter,  cer- 
tainly very  little  consideration  or  courtesy  has 


In  which  Death  is  a  Relief         319 

been  shown  me,"  said  the  poor  old  man,  to  whom 
the  Dowager's  wrath  was  a  very  terrible  thing. 

"  Have  no  apprehensions,  Mr.  Lambert,  my 
mother  shall  know  the  truth  of  this  matter,  and 
where  the  blame  rests." 

"  Then  you  really  think  that  Miss  Fitzger- 
ald  ?  " 

"  I'm  sure  of  it,  Mr.  Lambert.  She  has  con- 
fessed to  me,  that  if  she  did  not  actually  say  to 
you  that  she  was  going  to  marry  Lieutenant 
Kingsland,  she  purposely  allowed  you  to  believe 
the  same ;  and  then  assured  my  husband,  whom  I 
believe  to  be  as  innocent  in  the  matter  as  I  am, 
that  your  consent  had  been  gained,  and  all  arrange- 
ments made." 

The  old  parson  sat  down  on  a  rustic  seat  beside 
an  elaborately  natural,  sheet-iron  water-fall,  seem- 
ingly quite  crushed  by  the  blow.  But  the  spirit 
of  the  church  militant  was  strong  within  him,  and 
he  was  filled  with  righteous  anger  at  his  unmerited 
treatment ;  so  taking  his  companion's  hand,  he  rose 
presently,  saying : — 

"  Come.  Let  us  go  to  your  mother  and  tell  her 
the  truth  ;  we  owe  it  to  her  and  to  ourselves." 

"  To-morrow,  Mr.  Lambert — pray  wait  till  to- 
morrow." 

The  preacher's  face  hardened ;  he  was  in  no 
mood  for  leniency. 

"  We  have  delayed  too  long  already,"  he  said, 
and  took  a  step  forward. 

"  Believe  me,"  she  replied,  laying  her  hand  on 
his  arm,  "  I  do  not  ask  it  from  weakness,  but 


320  Parlous  Times 

my  husband  returns  to-morrow,  and  thanks  to  an 
inheritance  from  an  uncle  who  died  to-day,  comes 
back  a  rich  man,  able  to  support  a  wife.  When 
my  mother  knows  this,  she  will  receive  our  news 
very  differently.  See,"  and  she  handed  him  the 
telegram. 

"  I  will  wait  till  your  husband  returns  to  speak 
to  your  mother,"  he  replied,  "but  as  for  that  un- 
happy girl — if  it  is  not  too  late  to  turn  her  steps  to 
the  right  path — I  will  spare  no  pains  to  bring 
her  to  a  realisation  of  what  she  has  done.  For 
this,  no  time  is  like  the  present — no  time  too 
soon." 

"  I  hope  you  may  succeed,"  said  Lady  Isabelle, 
"  but  I  fear  you'll  find  her  much  worse  than  you 
imagine.  However,  I  do  not  wish  to  discourage 
you." 

"  I'm  not  easy  to  discourage  in  any  good  work, 
I  trust,  Lady  Isabelle  Kingsland." 

She  started,  as  her  new  name  was  pronounced, 
and  laying  a  detaining  hand  upon  him,  as  he 
would  have  left  her,  said,  her  voice  breaking : — 

"  Forgive  me,  Mr.  Lambert.  Say  you  forgive 
me." 

"  My  poor  child,"  he  said  sadly,  placing  one 
hand  on  her  bowed  head.  "  My  poor  child,  you 
are  too  much  in  need  of  forgiveness  from  others 
for  me  to  withhold  mine.  It  is  yours  freely  ;  but 
promise  me  that  you'll  show  your  appreciation  of 
it  by  coming  to  me  in  all  your  troubles." 

She  seized  his  other  hand  in  both  of  hers,  and 
kissing  it,  burst  into  tears. 


In  which  Death  is  a  Relief        321 

"  And  now,"  he  said  sternly,  "  I  will  seek  out 
that  miserable  girl." 

But  Miss  Fitzgerald,  dreading  the  tempest,  had 
sought  the  haven  of  her  own  room. 

She  was  not  a  picture  of  contrite  repentance  as 
she  stood  by  the  open  window,  looking  out  into 
the  night. 

"  Fools  all ! "  she  mused.  "  So  I  am  to  blame — 
it  is  all  my  fault !  " 

An  amused  sneer  played  about  her  lips. 

"  Ah  me  !  After  all  it  is  our  faults  that  make 
life  interesting  to  us — or  us  interesting  to  others," 
and  she  tossed  away  her  half-smoked  cigarette  with 
a  shrug. 

21 


CHAPTER  XXX 

TWO  LETTERS 

PRECISELY  as  the  clock  struck  ten,  Kent-Lau- 
riston  entered  the  smoking-room  to  find  it  in  sole 
possession  of  Stanley,  who  stood  leaning  against 
the  mantelpiece,  lost  in  thought — a  cigar,  long 
ago  gone  out,  hanging  listlessly  between  his  fin- 
gers. 

"  I'm  afraid  I'm  late,"  said  his  genial  adviser, 
glancing  at  the  clock,  "  but  I  was  just  finishing 
a  game  of  cribbage  with  Mr.  Riddle." 

"  I  don't  envy  you  his  society,"  growled  the 
Secretary,  whose  temper  was  not  improved  by  re- 
cent experiences. 

"  You  misjudge  him,"  replied  Kent-Lauriston. 
"  He's  a  very  good  fellow,  in  more  senses  of  the 
word  than  one — he's  just  given  Mr.  Lambert  a 
thumping  big  cheque,  for  the  restoration  of  his 
little  church." 

"  And  made  you  the  recipient  of  the  fact  of  his 
generosity?  " 

"  Far  from  it ;  our  gossiping  little  parson  did 
that,  in  direct  violation  of  a  pledge  of  secrecy  ; 
for  Riddle  never  wishes  his  good  works  to  be 

known — he's  not  that  kind.*' 
322 


Two  Letters  323 

"  I  consider  him  a  hypocrite,"  replied  Stanley 
shortly. 

"  Then  you  do  him  a  great  injustice,  my  dear 
boy ;  and  allow  me  to  say,  you'll  never  make  a 
good  diplomat  till  you've  arrived  at  a  better 
knowledge  of  human  nature  ;  it's  the  keystone  of 
the  profession.  But,  to  change  the  subject,  how 
have  you  been  spending  the  evening?  " 

"  Oh,  making  a  fool  of  myself,  as  usual." 

"  So  I  suppose.  What  particular  method  did 
you  adopt  this  time  ?  " 

"First,  I  chivied  our  amiable  parson  from  pillar 
to  post,  in  this  very  room,  till  I'd  forced  the  ad- 
mission of  an  important  fact  from  him,  and  the 
practical  admission  of  another." 

"  And  then,"  continued  Kent-Lauriston,  "  you 
went  and  tried  the  effect  of  your  statements  on 
the  young  ladies." 

"I  believe  you're  equipped  with  X-rays  instead 
of  eyes,  Kent-Lauriston,  for  you  were  smoking 
down  here  and  couldn't  have  seen  me  !  " 

"  No,  but  I  saw  the  ladies — afterwards." 

"  To  speak  to  ?  " 

"  Oh,  no.  One  of  them  at  least  has  a  rooted 
aversion  to  me.  I  know  too  much." 

"  What  were  they  doing?  " 

"  Pulling  each  other's  hair  out,  I  should  judge, 
or  its  equivalent  in  polite  society.  What  did  you 
learn  from  the  parson  ?  " 

"  That  he  had  not  married  Kingsland  to  Lady 
Isabelle ;  that  Kingsland  had  been  married  to 
somebody  ;  and  a  refusal  to  say  that  that  some- 


324  Parlous  Times 

body  was  Miss  Fitzgerald,  which  was  tantamount 
to  an  admission  of  the  fact." 

"  Exactly,  and  what  did  you  say  to  the  young 
ladies?" 

"  I  asked  Miss  Fitzgerald  if  she  was  Lieutenant 
Kingsland's  wife  ?  " 

"  And  she  denied  it?" 

"  Absolutely." 

"  What  else?  ' 

"  I  charged  Lady  Isabella  with  not  having 
married  Kingsland." 

"  And  what  was  her  answer  ?  " 

"  I  didn't  wait  to  receive  it." 

"  Had  you  done  so,  she  would  have  denied  it 
likewise." 

"You  think  so?" 

"  I  am  certain  of  it,  and,  if  it's  any  satisfaction 
to  you,  I  can  tell  you  that  by  your  action  you 
ensured  Miss  Fitzgerald  one  of  the  worst  quarters 
of  an  hour  at  her  Ladyship's  hands  that  she  is 
likely  to  experience  for  a  very  long  time." 

"  But  Mr.  Lambert  assured  me  solemnly,  that 
he  did  not  perform  the  ceremony  between  Lady 
Isabelle  and  the  Lieutenant." 

"  He  was  quite  right  in  doing  so." 

"  But  they  can't  all  be  right  ! " 

"  My  dear  fellow,"  said  Kent-Lauriston,  "  it  is 
very  seldom,  in  this  complex  age,  that  anyone  is 
wholly  right  or  wholly  wrong.  All  these  people, 
except  Miss  Fitzgerald,  know  a  part  of  the  truth, 
and  have  spoken  honestly  according  to  their 
lights.  She  alone  knows  it  all,  and,  believe  me, 


Two  Letters  325 

she  is  much  too  clever  to  tell  a  lie  on  so  important 
a  point.  If  she  told  you  she  was  not  married  to 
Lieutenant  Kingsland,  you  may  implicitly  believe 
her." 

"  Do  you  know  that  it  is  the  truth?  " 

"  Yes,  because  I  telegraphed  to  the  man  who  has 
charge  of  the  issue  of  special  licences,  and  have 
received  a  line  from  him,  to  the  effect  that  one  has 
been  issued  in  the  last  few  days,  for  Lieutenant 
Kingsland  and  Lady  Isabelle  McLane." 

"Then  you  convict  Mr.  Lambert  of  decep- 
tion?" 

"  Not  at  all.  If  he  told  you  he  had  not  married 
Lady  Isabelle  to  the  Lieutenant,  he  told  you 
what  he  believed  to  be  the  truth." 

"  But  is  it  possible  that  he  could  have  married 
them  without  knowing  it  ?  " 

"  It  seems  that  it  was  possible." 

"  How  could  he  make  such  a  mistake?  " 

"A  man  who  never  makes  a  mistake  makes 
little  or  nothing  in  this  world." 

"  And  Miss  Fitzgerald  signed  in  the  place  of  the 
bride,  to  divert  suspicion  ?  " 

"  It  seems  impossible  to  suppose  that  she 
would  commit  herself  in  that  way,"  said  Kent- 
Lauriston. 

"  But  the  register  proves  that  she  did,"  reported 
Stanley. 

"Ye-es.  It  rather  savours  of  the  paradox. 
Perhaps  we'd  better  content  ourselves  with  the 
facts  that  Lady  Isabelle  did  marry  Kingsland, 
and  Miss  Fitzgerald  did  not.  How  it  was  accom- 


326  Parlous  Times 

plished  does  not  immediately  concern  us,  and,  as 
I  fear  no  very  creditable  means  were  used,  we'd 
better  not  try  to  find  out  what  they  were,  espe- 
cially as  we've  more  serious  matters  to  consider." 

"  You  mean " 

"  I  mean  the  charge  unconsciously  made  by 
Madame  Darcy." 

"  I  feared  you  were  going  to  speak  of  that." 

"  True,  it  is  an  unpleasant  business ;  but  you 
must  remember  that  you  owe  it  to  Miss  Fitzgerald 
to  ask  her  for  a  definite  answer,  or  to  give  her 
some  explanation  for  declining  to  do  so." 

"  You  think  there's  no  escape  from  it  ?" 

"  None  that  a  gentleman  can  take." 

"  What  do  you  advise  me  to  do  ?  " 

"  Find  out  where  you  stand  in  the  first  place." 

"Howl  stand?" 

"Yes.  At  least  one  serious  charge  has  been 
made  against  the  woman  whom  you  propose  to 
make  your  wife.  If  true — for  your  own  sake,  for 
your  father's  sake,  you  must  surrender  her.  If 
false,  you  are  equally  bound,  by  honour  and  chiv- 
alry, to  disprove  it." 

"  How  can  I  do  this?" 

"  The  charge  to  which  I  refer  is  based  on  the 
direct  evidence  of  certain  letters.  See  them,  and 
judge  for  yourself." 

"  That  is  easier  said  than  done." 

"  Here  they  are,"  replied  Kent-Lauriston,  hand- 
ing him  a  little  packet. 

"  You  have  seen  Madame  Darcy  ?  " 

"  Yes." 


Two  Letters  327 

"  And  she  has  given  you  these  letters,  knowing 
they  would  be  shown  to  me  ?  " 

"  Yes,  on  my  representation,  that  if  they  sub- 
stantiated her  charges,  she  would  be  doing  you  the 
greatest  kindness  in  her  power." 

Stanley  bowed,  and  opened  the  little  packet. 
For  a  few  moments  there  Was  silence  in  the  room, 
broken  only  by  the  occasional  crackle  of  paper,  as 
he  turned  a  page.  Most  of  the  dozen  or  so 
documents  he  read  through  quickly,  and  laid  upon 
the  table  at  his  side.  A  couple  he  re-read  several 
times.  Finally  he  looked  up,  saying  simply: — 

"  You've  read  these  letters  ?  " 

"  Yes.     I  was  given  permission  to  do  so." 

"  What  do  you  think  of  them  ?  " 

'•  Two  of  them  are  suggestive." 

"  The  two  most  recent  ?  " 

"  Yes,  they  bear  dates,  you  will  observe,  within 
the  last  three  days." 

"  And  the  others ?  " 

"  The  others  merely  show  the  existence  of  some 
relationship  between  Colonel  Darcy  and  Miss 
Fitzgerald,  which  they  wished  kept  secret.  I 
don't  remember  the  exact  wording.  There's  a 
letter  which  she  writes  from  London  to  him  at  his 
home,  begging  him  to  come  to  town  and  '  leave 
his  tiresome  wife,'  as  they  have  '  matters  of  more 
importance  '  to  attend  to ;  and  again  she  writes 
that  she  cannot  meet  him  at  5  P.  M.,  '  because  she 
must  account  for  her  time  to  her  '  "  dragon,"  ' — • 
alluding,  I  infer,  to  her  aunt — but  that  he  must 
manage  to  'meet  her  accidentally  and  take  her 


328  Parlous  Times 

down  to  supper  '  at  a  party  she  is  attending  that 
night,  '  so  as  not  to  arouse  suspicion.'  " 

"  All  this  proves  nothing." 

"  Perhaps  not — but  the  extracts  are  significant. 
Now  take  the  two  most  recent." 

"  They  were  written  from  here.  How  were 
they  obtained  ?  " 

"  That  doesn't  concern  us  if  they  are  genuine." 

"  One  is  certainly  in  Miss  Fitzgerald's  hand." 

"  The  other  was  evidently  torn  from  Darcy's 
letter-book.  Read  it." 

Stanley  did  so,  with  evident  effort. 

"DEAREST  BELLE: 

"  I   did   not  know,  till  after   I   had  seen  you 

the  other  night " 

"  The  night  you  proposed,"  interjected  Kent- 
Lauriston. 

The  Secretary  nodded,  and  resumed  his  reading. 

" — the  other  night,  how  cleverly  you  got 
my  letter  out  of  the  Secretary's  clutches.  It  quite 
retrieves  your  losing  it  at  the  Hyde  Park  Club. 
and  now  I  have  lost  it  under  the  secret  door  in 
the  Hall,  as  you  will  probably  have  heard.  If 
A.  R.  cannot  get  a  duplicate,  which  is  doubtful, 
the  door  must  be  opened. 

"  I  have  entrusted  you  with  all  I  hold  most  dear. 
You  know  what  that  is.  If  my  plans  go  well,  it 
will  mean  a  happy  future  for  us  both. 

"  Your  affectionate  old 

"  BOB." 


Two  Letters  329 

"  Now  read  the  other,"  commanded  Kent- 
Lauriston ;  and,  sick  at  heart,  the  Secretary  com- 
plied : 

"You  OLD  STUPID: 

"Is  the  report  really  true  that  you  have 
lost  that  letter  under  the  secret  door  ?  There  is 
no  time  to  duplicate  it,  so  it  must  be  recovered. 
Why  didn't  you  write  and  tell  me  you  had  lost 
it? " 

"  But  he  did,"  commented  the  reader. 

"  Both  letters  were  intercepted  before  delivery, 
I  imagine,"  said  Kent-Lauriston,  "  but  finish  the 
note." 

"  — Do  not  try  to  see  me  again,"  read  Stanley ; 
"it  might  arouse  suspicion,  and  you  know  how 
necessary  it  is  for  me  to  play  the  role  of  the  inno- 
cent. I  am  more  afraid  of  Inez  than  anyone  else. 
I  am  sure  she  suspects  there  is  something  between 
us.  There  is  no  danger  in  Little  Diplomacy ;  he 
is  young  enough  to  believe  he  knows  everything, 
and  that  is  a  great  safeguard.  I  have  found  a 
trusty  messenger  for  our  affairs  in  Jack  Kings- 
land. 

"  As  ever, 

"  BELLE." 

The  Secretary  stopped  reading ;  his  throat  was 
very  dry.  He  took  a  glass  of  Apollinaris,  and 
then  said : — 

"These  letters  are  not  incriminating — in  the 
way  you  mean." 


33O  Parlous  Times 

"  No,  perhaps  not  in  so  many  words  ;  but  you 
must  ask  yourself  two  questions  concerning  them. 
Are  they  letters  that  an  honourable  or  refined 
woman  would  write  to  or  receive  from  a  married 
man,  at  any  time,  and  particularly  when  she  her- 
self was  practically  engaged  ?  " 

"  May  I  ask  to  what  you  imagine  Darcy's  ex- 
pression, '  all  I  hold  most  dear,'  refers  ?  " 

"  Oh,  his  heart,  or  his  love,  or  some  such  senti- 
mental rubbish." 

"  So  I  supposed  ;  it  hasn't  occurred  to  you  to 
take  it  in  a  more  literal  sense  ?  " 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  Well,  say  that  all  he  holds  most  dear  refers  to 
the  five  chests  of  sovereigns." 

"You  believe  this?" 

"  I  know  it  to  be  so — and  have  known  it  all 
along — the  fact  that  I  tell  you  confidentially,  that 
I'm  acting  under  secret  instructions  in  this  matter, 
will,  I'm  sure,  suffice  not  only  to  seal  your  lips, 
but  to  make  you  understand  that,  for  the  present, 
you  must  be  contented  not  to  know  more." 

Kent-Lauriston  nodded. 

"You'll  see,  then,"  continued  the  Secretary, 
"  that  what  you  supposed  was  an  intrigue  turns 
out  to  be — shall  we  say — a  commercial  transac- 
tion." 

Kent-Lauriston  shrugged  his  shoulders,  remark- 
ing :— 

"  I'd  better  return  the  letters  to  Madame  Darcy 
at  once  then?" 

"  No,  leave  that  to  me.     I  shall  ask  her  to  let 


Two  Letters  331 

me  keep  them,  if  she  will ;  they  may  be  .useful—- 
as evidence."  y  •  .. 

"  But,  surely,  any  woman  who  could  connect 
herself  with  so  dishonourable  an  affair,  as  I  imag- 
ine this  to  be,  is  no  fit  wife  for  you.  Give  me 
your  word  you'll  break  with  her  once  and  for  all." 

"  I've  sources  of  information  about  Darcy  which, 
as  I  have  said  before,  I'm  not  at  liberty  to  reveal, 
but  forty-eight  hours  may  loose  my  tongue.  If  I 
could  tell  Miss  Fitzgerald  what  I  know,  she  might 
throw  him  over  even  now,  for  I  still  hope  she's 
only  his  dupe.  Give  me  two  days  to  prove  her 
innocent;  if  I  fail — I'll  do  what  you  please." 

Kent-Lauriston  reluctantly  acquiesced,  and 
Stanley,  putting  the  incriminating  letters  carefully 
in  an  inside  pocket,  bade  him  good-night,  and 
left  the  smoking-room.  In  the  hall  he  met  Lady 
Isabelle. 

"  I  don't  know  what  you'll  think  of  me  for 
coming  to  you,  Mr.  Stanley,"  she  said,  "  after 
what  has  passed  this  evening." 

"  I  think  myself  an  infernal  ass,  for  I've  found 
out  the  truth  of  the  matter  since  I  left  you,  and 
I  think  you're  very  good  to  overlook  it,  and  very 
condescending  to  speak  to  me  at  all." 

"  Do  not  let  us  talk  of  that,"  she  said. 

"  Agreed,"  he  replied.  "  Only  permit  me  to 
say,  I'd  the  parson's  solemn  assurance  that  he'd 
not  married  you,  and,  however  unadvisedly  I  may 
have  spoken,  I  spoke  in  good  faith." 

"  I  quite  understand,"  she  returned.  "  But 
now  you  know  the  truth." 


332  Parlous  Times 

"  I  do,  and  I'm  very  much  ashamed  of  myself." 

She  smiled,  a  trifle  sadly,  and  changed  the  sub- 
ject abruptly,  saying : — 

"  I've  come  to  ask  you  a  great  favour.  In  the 
face  of  the  past  I  almost  hesitate  to  do  so,  but 
there's  no  one  else  to  whom  I  can  turn — and 
so " 

"  Anything  I  can  do "  he  began. 

"  I  only  want  to  ask  you  a  question." 

"  Only  a  question  ! " 

"Yet,  I  hesitate  to  ask  even  that — because  it 
concerns  a  lady  in  whom  you're  interested." 

"Miss  Fitzgerald?" 

"Yes." 

"  You  need  have  no  hesitation,"  he  said  coldly. 

"  I'm  sure  you  will  not  misunderstand  me,"  she 
continued. 

He  bowed  silently. 

"After  you  left  us,  I  questioned  Miss  Fitz- 
gerald about  the  part  she'd  played  in  my  mar- 
riage." 

Stanley  nodded. 

"  You  can  understand  that  I  was  very  angry. 
Whose  feelings  would  not  have  been  outraged  at 
discovering  that  they'd  been  so  played  upon  ? 
I'm  sure  that  my  husband  was  as  innocent  of  the 
deception  as  I." 

She  paused  a  second,  but  the  Secretary  did  not 
speak,  and  she  continued,  afraid,  perhaps,  that  he 
might  say  something  to  overthrow  her  theory. 

"  I  dare  say  I  forgot  myself — in  fact  I'm  sure  I 
did — and  said  things  that  I  now  regret ;  but  in  the 


Two  Letters  333 

heat  of  the  argument  she  taunted  me  with  the  fact 
that  she  had  it  in  her  power  to  have  my  husband 
cashiered  from  the  navy,  if  she  chose  to  tell  what 
she  knew.  Is  this  true  ?  " 

"Did  she  specify  what  he'd  done?"  asked 
Stanley,  the  horrid  suspicion  that  Belle  was  not 
innocent  once  more  reasserting  itself  with  increased 
force. 

"  No,  but  she  said  it  was  something  he'd  done 
in  London,  during  his  present  absence." 

"  My  God ! "  murmured  the  Secretary,  as  the 
full  force  and  meaning  of  this  avowal  became  ap- 
parent to  him,  and  he  saw  that  Belle  must  be  fully 
cognisant  of  the  plot. 

"  Don't  tell  me  it's  true  !  "  cried  Lady  Isabelle. 

"  I'm  afraid  it  is,"  he  replied. 

"  But  that  my  husband  could  be  guilty  of " 

"  I  didn't  say  that,"  he  interjected.  "  He  may 
be  merely  an  innocent  instrument ;  but  he  might 
have  difficulty  in  proving  it,  if  the  charges  were 
made." 

•'  But  what  are  the  charges  ?  " 

"  Ah !    That  you  must  not  ask  me." 

"  You  know  ?  " 

"  Perhaps,  but  you  must  be  content  to  be 
sure  that,  had  I  the  right  to  tell  you,  I  would 
do  so." 

"  But  what  is  to  be  done?  " 

"  Nothing.  The  threat  is  an  empty  one.  Miss 
Fitzgerald  will  make  no  charges  against  your  hus- 
band ;  I  will  guarantee  that,  and  it  may  transpire 
that  the  Lieutenant  has  done  nothing  worse  than 


334  Parlous  Times 

deliver  some  cases,  of  the  contents  of  which  he 
was  ignorant,  to  oblige  a  friend." 

"  But  if  she  could  prove  that  he  did  deliver 
them,  he  might  be  charged  with  complicity  ?  " 

"  Exactly." 

"  Can  I  not  warn  him  ?  " 

"  No,  Lady  Isabelle,  you  owe  it  to  me  to  keep 
silence,  at  least  for  the  next  few  days.  In  telling 
you  this,  to  relieve  your  anxiety,  I  have  exceeded 
my  instructions,  and  placed  my  honour  in  your 
hands." 

"  It  shall  be  held  sacred ;  but  who  is  to  warn 
my  husband  ?  " 

"  I'll  do  so,  if  you  wish." 

"  I  can  never  be  sufficiently  grateful,  if  you 
will." 

"  Then  we'll  consider  that  settled,"  he  said. 

"  You've  been  a  true  friend  to  me,"  she  replied, 
taking  his  hand,  "  and  I've  ill  repaid  you  for  your 
kindness." 

"  Don't  think  of  that,"  he  said,  and  turned 
away,  heavy-hearted  ;  for  now  he  fancied  he  knew 
the  worst. 


CHAPTER  XXXI 

MISS  FITZGERALD  BURNS  HER  BOATS 

"  MY  dear,"  said  the  Secretary,  as  he  shook 
hands  with  Madame  Darcy  over  the  little  wicket 
gate  entwined  with  roses,  which  gave  admittance 
to  her  rustic  abode,  "  I  want  to  thank  you  for 
those  letters." 

"To  thank  me?" 

"Yes.     Why  not?" 

"  Why  not  ?  Why,  I  was  almost  ashamed  to 
meet  you  face  to  face." 

"  But  why  should  you  be  ?  " 

44  That  I  should  have  spoken  of  them  at  all,  and 
to  you." 

44  But  surely  you  cannot  blame  yourself  for  that. 
You  thought  they  related  to  quite  a  different  per- 
son." 

44  Now  who  would  have  supposed  a  man  would 
have  given  me  credit.  But  why  do  I  stand  talk- 
ing at  the  gate — come  in,  you've  not  perhaps  had 
your  breakfast  yet  this  morning?" 

"  Yes,  thanks,  and  a  hearty  one.  Do  you  think 
I  come  to  eat  you  out  of  house  and  home  ?  " 

44 1  think  you  come  only  to  the  gate." 

44  Unfortunately,  beggars  must  not  be  choosers 

335 


336  Parlous  Times 

— and  I've  just  time  for  a  word.  It's  my  busy 
day,  as  they  say  in  the  city." 

She  was  piqued,  and  showed  it. 

"  Do  you  not  think  I  would  willingly  spend  all 
day  with  you,  if " 

"  I  think,"  she  replied,  "  that  you're  engaged  to 
a  certain  young  lady — and  you've  told  me  that 
you're  busy." 

"  It's  about  her  I  wished  to  speak,"  he  said, 
abruptly  changing  the  subject.  "  These  letters 
have  misled  you." 

"  You  mean ' 

"  I  mean  that  they  refer  to  the  plot  in  which 
your  husband  and  this  young  lady  are  engaged." 

She  looked  at  him  searchingly. 

"  You  are  speaking  the  truth  to  me.  You  know 
this  to  be  so  ?  " 

"  On  my  honour.  I  am  not  trying  to  deceive 
you.  I  only  ask  you  to  believe  that  your  original 
suspicions  were  incorrect." 

"  But  you  substitute  something  quite  as 
bad." 

"  Well,  no — hardly  that.  In  fact  it  may  benefit 
you  greatly." 

"How  so?" 

"  That  I'm  not  at  liberty  to  tell  you  just  now ; 
I  hope  I  can  in  a  day  or  two.  Meantime,  may  I 
ask  you  to  keep  silence  about  what  I've  said,  and 
trust  your  affairs  to  me — they  shall  not  suffer  in 
my  hands." 

"  Have  I  not  trusted  you,  my  friend  ?" 

"  You    have  indeed,  and   I've  appreciated  it ; 


Miss  Fitzgerald  Burns  her  Boats     337 

but  that  you'll  understand  better  a  little  later — 
when  I've  been  able  to  help  you  more." 

"  You  have  done  all  for  me ;  you  have  saved 
me,  and  I  can  never  forget  it." 

"  Nonsense,  I've  done  nothing  as  yet." 

"  You  have  given  me  your  sympathy.  Is  not 
that  something  ?  You  have  been  a  true  friend  to 
me." 

"  For  old  friendship's  sake — could  I  do  less  ?  " 

She  flushed  and  said  hurriedly. 

"  My  father  will  know  how  to  thank  you  prop- 
erly. When  I  see  him "  and  she  unburdened 

her  heart  to  the  Secretary,  who  gave  her  a  willing 
ear.  Together  they  discussed  her  plans  for  the 
future,  her  return  home,  her  welcome ;  in  short, 
a  thousand  and  one  pleasant  anticipations,  till 
Stanley  declared,  regretfully,  that  he  must  go. 

"  But  you  have  stood  already  an  hour,"  she  mur- 
mured, "  surely  you  will  come  in  and  rest." 

"  An  hour  !  "  he  exclaimed,  looking  at  his  watch. 
"  Impossible !  " 

"  No,"  she  said.  "  Not  impossible,  I  also  have 
stood." 

He  was  overcome  at  his  thoughtlessness,  but 
she  silenced  his  excuses  by  throwing  open  the 
gate  and  saying : 

"  Come."     And  he  entered. 


Miss  Fitzgerald  was  seated  at  her   ease   in  a 
West  Indian  chair  on  the  lawn.     A  white  parasol 

shielded  her  from  the   sun,  and  a  novel  lay  un- 
22 


338  Parlous  Times 

opened  in  her  lap.  As  she  leaned  back  looking 
up  into  the  earnest  face  of  a  man,  with  a  supercili- 
ous smile  and  a  veiled  fire  in  her  blue  eyes,  she 
seemed  to  be  at  peace  with  herself  and  with  the 
world.  In  reality,  she  was  enduring  the  last  of 
three  most  disagreeable  encounters. 

Her  first  had  been  with  her  aunt,  Mrs.  Roberts, 
who,  quite  justly,  ascribed  the  occurrences  which 
had  interrupted  the  harmony  of  her  house-party 
to  the  machinations  of  her  niece. 

"  I  invited  you  here  at  your  own  request,"  she 
had  said,  in  a  private  interview  before  breakfast, 
in  the  course  of  which  much  righteous  wrath  was 
vented.  "  You  assured  me  that  Mr.  Stanley  was 
on  the  point  of  asking  your  hand  in  marriage,  and 
only  needed  an  opportunity  of  doing  so  ;  which  I 
was  the  more  willing  to  give,  because  I  saw  the 
extreme  advisability  of  such  a  step.  His  actions 
have  belied  your  words,  and  moreover,  have  made 
you  the  subject  of  unpleasant  comment  in  my 
house,  which  has  greatly  annoyed  me.  I  do  not 
wish  to  be  unkind,  but  you  must  understand  that 
matters,  for  the  rest  of  the  time  we  are  together, 
must  run  more  smoothly,  or  I  shall  be  obliged  to 
suggest  your  returning  to  London." 

It  is  hard  enough  to  endure  the  faulty  criticism 
of  an  elderly  and  misguided  person,  when  one  is 
in  the  right ;  but  when  one  is  in  the  wrong,  and 
has  hanging  over  one  the  probability,  if  not  the 
certainty,  of  coming  disclosures,  which  will  force 
threats  to  become  realities,  such  a  state  of  things 
is  unbearable,  and  Miss  Fitzgerald  partook  of  her 


Miss  Fitzgerald  Burns  her  Boats     339 

morning  meal  feeling  that  fate  had  been  more 
than  unkind. 

Immediately  after  breakfast  she  had  been  treated 
to  an  interview  with  the  outraged  Mr.  Lambert, 
of  which  a  detailed  account  is  unnecessary,  but 
which  resulted  in  the  unpalatable  presentation 
of  those  obnoxious  criticisms  known  as  "  home 
truths." 

With  all  her  faults,  Miss  Fitzgerald,  like  the 
parson,  came  of  fighting  stock,  and,  game  to  the 
last,  she  began  the  dangerous  experiment  of 
burning  her  boats  behind  her,  by  informing  her 
hostess  that  she  should  leave  to-morrow  afternoon 
in  any  event,  as  it  was  not  her  wish  to  stay  where 
she  was  unwelcome.  Then,  possessed  by  the  spirit 
that  has  always  prompted  heroic  deeds,  the  de- 
termination to  do  or  die,  she  sought  and  found  an 
interview  with  Mr.  Stanley.  She  boldly  opened 
the  attack,  by  calling  that  young  gentleman  to 
account  for  his  neglect  of  the  last  twenty-four 
hours. 

"  I've  hardly  seen  so  much  as  your  shadow, 
Jimsy,  and  I've  been  nearly  bored  to  death  in 
consequence.  What  have  you  been  doing  with 
yourself?  " 

"  Trying  to  find  out  to  whom  you  were  married." 

"  Ah  !     Have  you  succeeded  ?  " 

"  Yes,  the  parson  has  confirmed  your  assertions 
this  morning." 

"  Did  you  need  his  confirmation  of  my  word  ?  " 

Stanley  said  nothing,  and  his  companion,  con- 
sidering the  silence  dangerous,  hastened  to  break  it. 


340  Parlous  Times 

"If  I  really  were  to  marry  you,"  she  asked, 
"  would  you  desert  me  as  you  did  yesterday  ?  " 

"  If  you  treated  me  as  you've  treated  me  these 
last  few  days,  I  should  probably  desert  you  alto- 
gether." 

The  situation  was  going  from  bad  to  worse, 
and  something  must  be  effected  or  the  cause  was 
lost. 

"What  have  I  done,  Jim?"  she  asked  pite- 
ously,  taking  the  bull  by  the  horns,  and  allowing 
her  eyes  to  fill  with  tears. 

"  What  have  you  done  ?  "  he  said  nonchalantly, 
with  a  flippancy  which,  in  the  case  of  women, 
constituted  his  most  dangerous  weapon.  "  What 
have  you  done?  Oh,  nothing  out  of  the  com- 
mon, I  suppose,  only,  you  see,  unfortunately,  we 
men  are  cursed  with  a  certain,  though  defective, 
standard  of  morals  ;  and  the  amount  of — well, 
prevarication  you've  practised  over  this  affair  has 
shattered  a  number  of  cherished  illusions." 

"  I  wish  you  wouldn't  wax  so  disgustingly 
moral,  Jimsy.  It's  so  easy  to  be  moral — and  it 
bores  me.  Of  course,  I  don't  like  saying  what's 
not  so,  any  more  than  you  do,  but  one  must  be 
consistent.  I  promised  Kingsland  I'd  arrange 
the  match  for  him,  and  when  that  old  fool  of  a 
parson  put  obstacles  in  the  way,  and  then  as- 
sumed I  was  the  bride, — I'll  give  you  my  word  I 
never  told  him  so — why,  it  offered  an  easy  solu- 
tion of  the  difficulty.  There  was  nothing  illegal 
about  the  marriage.  I'm  sure  I'm  not  responsible 
for  every  man  who  makes  a  fool  of  himself,  and 


Miss  Fitzgerald  Burns  her  Boats     341 

since  I'd  undertaken  the  affair,  I  was  bound,  in 
common  decency,  to  see  it  through." 

"  Do  you  consider  '  common  decency  '  just  the 
word  to  apply  to  the  transaction  ?  " 

"  Don't  pick  up  details  and  phrases  in  that 
way,  Jimsy.  They're  unimportant — but  very  irri- 
tating." 

"  Do  you  think  so  ?  Details  and  phrases  go  far 
to  make  up  the  sum  of  life.  Why  does  Colonel 
Darcy  still  remain  here  ?  " 

"  Why  do  you  still  persist  in  harping  upon  my 
friend's  name  ?  " 

"  Because  I  loathe  him,  Belle.  If  you  knew 
his  true  character,  you'd  cut  him  the  next  time 
you  met." 

"  Ignorance  is  the  only  thing  that  makes  life 
tolerable." 

"  Nonsense." 

"  Jim,  answer  me  this  question.  If  I  were 
your  wife,  would  you  permit  me  to  keep  up  my 
intimacy  with  Colonel  Darcy  ?  " 

"  No." 

"  Then  I  must  choose  between  you  two  ?  " 

"  Do  you  love  me  so  little  that  there  can  be  a 
question  of  choice  ?  " 

"  You  don't  understand.  It's  easy  for  you  to 
say,  '  Throw  him  over ' ;  the  reality  is  a  very 
different  matter.  He's  my  oldest  friend." 

"  And  I'm  the  man  who  has  asked  you  to  share 
his  name  and  his  honour.  If  I  could  prove  to 
you  that  Darcy  was  unworthy — would  you  give 
him  up,  for  my  sake  ?  " 


342  Parlous  Times 

"  Can  you  prove  this  ?  " 

"  I'm  not  at  liberty  to  say." 

She  smiled  faintly,  and  thought  hard.  She 
had  learned  in  that  last  speech  what  she  most 
wanted  to  know — the  measure  of  the  Secretary's 
knowledge. 

"  Well  ?  "  he  said,  interrogatively. 

"  I  don't  know  how  to  answer,"  she  replied. 
"  My  intuition  says  no  ;  my  heart  says — yes." 

The  Secretary  turned  cold,  as  a  new  phase  of 
the  situation  presented  itself  to  his  view. 

"  Do  you  love  this  man  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  Love  Darcy — love  him  !  "  she  cried.  "  I  hate 
him  more  than  any  man  in  the  world,  and 
yet " 

"  You're  in  his  power  ?  " 

"No!" 

"  Then  accept  me." 

"Jim,"  she  said  earnestly,  "you're  asking  me 
to  decide  my  whole  life.  Give  me  twenty-four 
hours  to  think  it  over." 

"  Haven't  you  had  sufficient  time?  " 

"  To-morrow  you  shall  have  your  answer." 

"  Much  may  happen  before  to-morrow." 

"  But  you'll  grant  me  this  respite.  I  promise 
that  to-morrow  I'll  say — yes  or  no." 

"  To-morrow  I  too  may  be  able  to  speak  more 
clearly ;  till  then,  promise  me  you'll  not  see  this 
man." 

"Can't  you  trust  me,  Jim?  I  trust  you,  and 
how  little  a  woman  can  know  of  a  man's  life." 

"  I  don't  know,"  he  said,  and  left  her  discom- 


Miss  Fitzgerald  Burns  her  Boats     343 

fited — praying  to  Heaven  that  some  power  might 
intervene  to  reconcile  her  heart  and  conscience ; 
for  this  wild,  wayward  and  desperate  woman  had 
a  conscience,  and  so  far  it  had  withheld  her  from 
committing  an  unpardonable  sin. 

After  lunch,  as  fate  willed  it,  the  Irish  girl  and 
the  Dowager  were  left  a  moment  alone  together. 
Being  both  inflammable  substances,  sparks  flew, 
and  a  conflagration  ensued. 

The  credit  of  starting  the  combustion  must  be 
accorded  to  the  Marchioness.  She  had  observed 
the  young  lady's  earnest  conversation  with  Stan- 
ley on  the  lawn  in  the  morning,  and  coupling  this 
with  the  undemonstrative  behaviour  of  that  gen- 
tleman towards  her  daughter,  had  jumped  to  the 
conclusion  that  Miss  Fitzgerald  was  trying  to  rob 
her  of  her  rightful  prize.  Being  possessed  of  this 
belief,  and  the  circumstances  being  exaggerated 
from  much  thinking,  her  wrath  found  expression 
in  the  offender's  presence,  and  she  gratuitously 
insulted  the  Irish  girl ;  a  dangerous  thing  to  do, 
as  she  presently  discovered. 

"  How  are  you  to-day  ?  "  asked  the  Dowager 
with  irritating  condescension. 

"  Excessively  trivial,  thank  you.  An  English 
Sunday  is  so  serious,  one  has  to  be  trivial  in  self- 
defence." 

"  It  is  different  in  your  country,  then  ?  " 

"  Rather." 

"  You  seemed  nervous  and  absorbed  at 
lunch." 

"  No.     Simply  absorbed  with  my  luncheon.     I 


344  Parlous  Times 

find  that  eating  is  really  important  in  England. 
It  takes  one's  mind  off  the  climate." 

"  I'm  leaving  to-morrow,"  continued  Miss  Fitz- 
gerald, for  the  purpose  of  breaking  an  awkward 
silence,  which  had  already  lasted  several  minutes. 

"  I  think  it's  the  wisest  thing  you  can  do,"  re- 
plied the  Dowager. 

Such  provocation  could  not  pass  unnoticed. 

"Why?"  queried  her  companion,  outwardly 
calm,  but  with  a  dangerous  gleam  in  her  eye. 

"  Because  if  you  were  not  leaving  the  house 
at  once,  I  should  feel  it  my  duty  to  take  Lady 
Isabelle  away — with  young  girls  one  must  be 
careful." 

"  Explain  yourself,  Lady  Port  Arthur." 

"  I  do  not  think  it  necessary,  really ;  do  you  ? 
Of  course  I  can  quite  understand  that  it's  most 
advisable,  perhaps  necessary,  for  you  to  marry ; 
but  common  decency  would  prevent  you  from 
thrusting  your  attentions  on  a  man  who " 

"  If  you're  alluding  to  Mr.  Stanley,  your  Lady- 
ship, I  don't  mind  telling  you,  if  it'll  make  you 
feel  easier,  that  I've  about  decided  to  refuse  him." 

"What!" 

"  He  proposed  to  me  some  days  ago,  but,  as 
you  say,  one  has  to  be  careful." 

"  Impossible ! " 

"  As  for  marrying,"  continued  her  adversary,  re- 
lentlessly, determined,  since  Lady  Isabelle's  mar- 
riage must  be  known,  to  have  the  satisfaction  of 
imparting  the  news  herself — "as  for  marrying — 
you're  hardly  qualified  to  speak  on  that  subject, 


Miss  Fitzgerald  Burns  her  Boats     345 

if  you  will  pardon  my  saying  so,  as  you  don't 
even  know  the  name  of  your  daughter's  husband." 

The  Dowager  gasped.  She  had  no  words  to 
express  her  feelings. 

"  You  needn't  get  so  agitated,  for  I  shall  prob- 
ably leave  you  Mr.  Stanley  to  fall  back  upon,  if 
this  present  marriage  proves  illegal.  Lady  Isa- 
belle  would  be  provided  with  some  husband  in  any 
case." 

The  Dowager  gripped  the  handle  of  her  sun- 
shade until  it  seemed  as  if  it  must  snap,  and  turned 
purple  in  the  face. 

"  Don't  tell  me  I  lie,"  pursued  her  tormentor, 
"  it's  not  good  form,  and  besides,  if  you  want  con- 
firmation, look  in  Mr.  Lambert's  register  at  the 
chapel  next  door,  where  your  daughter  was  mar- 
ried two  days  ago." 

"  Insolence ! ! !  "  gasped  the  Dowager, 

"  I  ought  to  know,"  continued  Miss  Fitzgerald, 

calmly,  "  as  I  was  one  of  the  witnesses — you " 

but  she  never  finished  her  sentence,  for  the  Dow- 
ager had  hoisted  her  sunshade  and  got  under  way 
for  the  church  door. 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

THE  TOP  OF  THE  TOWER 

AFTER  his  disquieting  interview  with  Miss 
Fitzgerald,  Stanley  felt  the  imperative  need  of  an 
entire  change  of  subject  to  steady  his  mind.  This 
want,  the  secret  of  the  old  tower  supplied. 

No  time  could  have  been  better  suited  for  his 
investigations.  Lunch  was  well  over,  the  mem- 
bers of  the  house  party  were  in  their  various  rooms 
for  an  hour  at  least. 

A  few  moments  spent  in  measuring  on  the  first 
floor  in  the  great  hall,  and  the  library,  which  ran 
parallel  to  it,  proved  the  correctness  of  his  theory, 
that  the  space  enclosed  was  smaller  at  the  bottom 
than  at  the  top,  as  only  six  feet  was  unaccounted 
for.  Evidently  on  this  floor  the  tower  contained 
merely  a  staircase. 

He  now  carried  his  investigations  to  the  second 
storey.  The  room  over  the  library  had  been  as- 
signed to  Kent-Lauriston,  and  as  the  Secretary's 
knock  elicited  no  answer,  he  took  the  liberty  of 
entering;  finding,  as  he  supposed,  that  his  friend 
had  gone  out.  The  inside  measurements  of  this 
room  gave  only  ten  feet,  where  they  should  have 
given  twenty-five,  and  brought  up  at  a  large  fire- 
place, which  had  no  existence  in  the  apartment 
346 


The  Top  of  the  Tower  347 

below,  and  which  was  apparently  much  deeper 
than  was  really  the  case.  Around  and  behind 
this  there  was  a  secret  chamber  of  considerable 
dimensions,  but  half  an  hour's  experiments 
brought  the  Secretary  no  nearer  effecting  an  en- 
trance. The  old  blue  glazed  tiles  of  the  fireplace, 
and  the  bricks  which  composed  its  floor,  were 
alike  immovable.  There  was  only  the  roof  left ; 
if  he  failed  there,  he  must  resign  himself  to  the 
inevitable,  and  bend  all  his  energies  on  trying  to 
open  the  secret  door. 

At  the  risk  of  being  thought  prying  and 
meddlesome,  Stanley  now  proceeded  to  search 
for  some  mode  of  ascent  to  the  leads,  and  after 
many  mistakes  and  much  wandering,  he  discov- 
ered at  last  a  worm-eaten  ladder.  This  he  climbed, 
at  great  bodily  risk,  and  forcing  a  rusty  scuttle, 
emerged  at  last,  safe  and  unperceived,  on  top  of 
the  house,  amidst  a  wilderness  of  peaks  and  un- 
dulations, which  attested  more  to  the  ingenuity 
of  mediaeval  builders,  than  gave  promise  of  com- 
fort to  him  who  attempted  to  traverse  it.  At 
last,  however,  by  dint  of  much  scrambling,  and 
several  hair-breadth  escapes  from  an  undignified 
descent  to  the  lawn,  he  reached  the  point  at 
which  the  tower  sprang  from  the  roof.  It  rose 
sheer  above  him  for  almost  forty  feet,  unbroken 
by  any  window  or  excrescence,  and  thinly  covered 
by  ivy  which,  while  it  was  too  scattered  to  con- 
ceal any  outlet,  at  the  same  time  afforded  no 
foothold  for  ascent. 

It  was  dreadfully  tantalising.     Once  on  those 


348  Parlous  Times 

crumbling  battlements,  he  persuaded  himself  he 
should  have  no  trouble  in  entering  through  the 
roof.  The  missing  letter  was  then  within  reach, 
and  the  young  man  saw  the  road  to  rapid  pro- 
motion stretch  glitteringly  before  him  ;  saw  that 
Darcy  would  be  in  his  power,  with  all  that  it 
implied ;  but  saw  that  forty  feet  of  frowning 
masonry,  which  separated  him  from  his  hopes, 
and  cursed  his  luck. 

A  ladder  would  solve  the  problem — but  for 
numerous  reasons  it  was  a  solution  not  to  be 
thought  of.  Above  all  things,  he  wished  his  in- 
vestigations to  be  absolutely  unsuspected.  If 
Darcy  for  an  instant  imagined  that  the  truth  was 
known,  he  would  be  off  like  a  flash.  If  the  Secre- 
tary was  to  conquer  the  secret  of  the  tower,  he 
must  do  it  unaided,  and  he  was  about  to  turn 
back  and  descend,  baffled  by  the  hopelessly 
smooth  surface  of  the  structure,  when  his  eye 
caught  sight  of  a  small  iron  ring  in  the  side  of 
the  tower,  about  two  feet  above  the  roof  of  the 
house.  Examining  closely,  he  saw  a  second  ring 
two  feet  above  the  first,  and  others  at  like 
distances  up,  presumably  to  the  top,  though  the 
ivy  had  in  some  cases  concealed  them.  His  first 
conjecture  was  that  at  some  time  there  might  have 
been  a  rope  ladder  arranged  ;  but  that  would  have 
called  for  pairs  of  rings  at  the  same  level,  and  the 
closest  scrutiny  failed  to  reveal  more  than  one. 

Perhaps,  thought  Stanley,  it  might  be  possible  to 
rig  some  sort  of  a  contrivance  of  rope  to  these,  by 
means  of  which  he  might  ascend  ;  but  it  was  dim"- 


The  Top  of  the  Tower  349 

cult  to  procure  the  necessary  material,  and  still 
more  difficult  to  attach  it  to  the  tower  without  at- 
tracting observation.  He  caught  hold  of  the  ring 
and  gave  it  a  good  jerk  towards  him  to  be  sure  it 
was  firmly  enough  embedded  to  be  of  some  service, 
when,  to  his  utter  astonishment,  not  the  staple, 
but  the  block  of  stone  to  which  it  was  attached, 
pulled  out  about  six  inches.  Here  was  an  unex- 
pected denouement.  If  the  masonry  was  as  rotten 
as  all  this,  it  was  high  time,  for  the  safety  of  the 
house,  that  it  was  pulled  down.  A  moment's 
examination,  however,  assured  him  that  the  tower 
was  as  solid  as  a  rock.  Why  then  should  this  one 
stone  be  loose,  and  why  could  he  pull  it  no 
farther?  He  pushed  it  in  again  and  pulled  once 
more  with  all  his  strength,  but  it  came  only  the 
six  inches,  and  then  remained  immovable.  He 
bent  down  and  examined  it  closely.  Then,  as  he 
perceived  there  was  no  trace  of  mortar  on  its 
edges,  he  gave  a  shout  of  exultation,  and  seizing 
the  second  ring,  drew  it  towards  him  with  a  simi- 
lar result.  The  stone  to  which  it  was  attached 
pulled  slightly  out.  Unwittingly,  he  had  stumbled 
on  to  one  secret  of  the  tower.  These  stones 
formed  nothing  more  or  less  than  a  concealed 
staircase;  perilous  indeed,  but  quite  possible  of 
ascent.  Springing  up  on  the  first  and  second 
stones,  he  found  they  bore  his  weight,  and  he 
was  thus  enabled  not  only  to  steady  himself  by 
the  rings  above,  but  to  pull  them  out  in  like  man- 
ner. Having  tested  three  or  four  and  pulled  out 
six,  he  descended  again  to  the  roof,  and  returned 


350  Parlous  Times 

to  his  room  to  provide  himself  with  certain  neces- 
saries for  the  trip,  among  which  were  a  small 
bicycle  lamp  and  a  match-box.  He  took  off  his 
coat  and  waistcoat,  and  also  his  shoes,  and  set 
about  making  the  attempt  in  a  more  practical 
manner.  For  at  least  half  the  way  up  he  would 
be  screened  from  view  by  the  roofs,  and  for  the 
remainder  he  must  take  his  chance  of  not  being 
seen.  Drawing  a  long  breath,  and  placing  his 
foot  firmly  on  the  first  stone,  he  commenced  the 
ascent.  For  ten  or  fifteen  feet  it  seemed  an  easy 
matter,  but  as  he  cleared  the  intercepting  roof 
peaks,  and  the  view  opened  out,  he  fully  realised 
his  perilous  position,  and  a  gust  of  wind  which 
swayed  him  on  his  airy  perch  made  him  feel  all 
the  more  insecure.  Sternly  resisting  the  tempta- 
tion to  look  down,  and  the  no  less  dangerous 
desire  to  hasten  his  ascent,  he  kept  his  face  reso- 
lutely turned  to  the  wall,  and  testing  care- 
fully each  ring  before  trusting  himself  to  it, 
climbed  slowly  up  and  up.  The  way  seemed  end- 
less, and  when  but  six  feet  remained,  two  spar- 
rows, with  a  whir  and  rush  of  wings,  flew  angrily 
round  his  head,  at  what  they  regarded  as  an 
invasion  of  their  nest,  and  almost  caused  him  to 
lose  his  hold  in  an  attempt  to  drive  them  away. 
And  now  the  battlements  were  just  over  him, 
projecting  awkwardly  from  the  face  of  the  wall, 
and  proving  much  higher  than  he  had  at  first 
supposed.  But  he  noticed,  with  relief,  that  directly 
in  the  line  of  his  ascent  were  a  pair  of  projecting 
iron  stanchions  not  visible  from  below,  but  evi- 


The  Top  of  the  Tower  351 

dently  intended  to  be  used  in  pulling  oneself  up 
and  over  the  battlements ;  a  supposition  borne 
out  by  the  fact  that  they  were  placed  each  side 
of  a  break  in  the  stonework,  which  was  orna- 
mented with  a  lip  or  step  of  smooth  stone,  evi- 
dently intended  to  afford  an  entrance  to  the  roof 
of  the  tower.  This  lip  had  a  slight  slant  upwards, 
and  might  perhaps  have  served  a  double  purpose 
as  a  drain  or  broad  spout. 

Fortunately  Stanley's  caution  had  not  entirely 
deserted  him,  and  he  had  the  good  sense  to  reach 
up  and  test  one  of  the  stanchions  before  trusting 
himself  to  it.  It  was  well  that  he  did  so,  for  its 
fastenings  proved  to  be  rotten  with  age,  and  the 
bolt  giving  way,  it  tore  out  in  his  grasp,  and  flying 
from  his  hand  fell  with  a  loud  clank  on  the  roof, 
forty  feet  below.  The  Secretary  swayed  out  from 
the  tower  with  the  force  of  the  shock,  and  had  not 
the  topmost  iron,  to  which  he  clung,  held  firm, 
this  narrative  would  have  come  to  a  sudden  and  a 
tragic  ending. 

Having  recovered  his  equipoise,  he  found  him- 
self face  to  face  with  a  serious  if  not  an  insur- 
mountable obstacle.  The  natural  entrance  to  the 
roof  was  denied  him ;  for  even  if  the  other  stan- 
chion held  firm,  he  had  no  mind  to  trust  his  entire 
weight  to  it,  and  without  its  mate  it  was  of  little 
use  for  lifting  himself  up.  Besides  which,  the  lip 
or  step,  which,  by  its  slant  towards  him,  would, 
with  the  aid  of  the  stanchions,  have  made  access 
easy  without  them,  rendered  it,  by  reason  of  its 
angle,  the  more  difficult.  The  only  practical  way 


352  Parlous  Times 

seemed  to  lean  far  to  one  side,  and  seizing  the 
rough  stones  of  the  battlement  which  projected 
over  his  head,  swing  himself  up  and  through  one 
of  the  embrasures.  The  last  step  would  bring  him 
breast  high  with  them,  but  as  they  projected 
nearly  a  foot  beyond  the  face  of  the  tower,  he 
must  bend  his  body  outward,  and  trust  to  them 
alone  for  support.  If  the  stones  of  the  battle- 
ments were  strong,  his  athletic  training  gave  him 
no  reason  to  suppose  that  he  would  have  any 
trouble  in  accomplishing  the  feat.  Youth,  more- 
over, is  apt  to  be  venturous,  and  an  aerial  perch, 
eighty  feet  from  the  ground,  is  not  just  the  place 
one  would  choose  for  lengthy  consideration. 

Therefore,  after  reaching  up  and  testing  the 
masonry,  as  thoroughly  as  he  was  able,  he  flung 
caution  to  the  winds,  a  full  assemblage  of  which 
were  whistling  around  him,  and,  making  a  desperate 
effort,  clutched  the  stones  above  him,  and  swung 
his  body  up  and  one  leg  over  the  battlements. 

He  was  secure  after  all.  Then,  looking  within, 
he  received  one  of  the  worst  shocks  which  the 
events  of  his  life  had  ever  afforded  him.  There 
was  no  roof  in  existence ;  at  least,  none  where  he 
had  expected  to  find  it.  He  discovered  that  he 
was  seated  astride  the  rim  of  a  circular  well,  forty 
feet  deep,  whose  bottom  was  the  roof  of  the  house. 
In  other  words,  the  whole  tower  above  the  second 
story  was  a  shell — a  sham.  A  few  moments'  ob- 
servation was  sufficient  to  assure  him  that  there 
never  had  been  a  roof  at  a  higher  level.  An  iron 
bar  corroded  with  rust,  round  which  was  wound  a 


The  Top  of  the  Tower  353 

chain,  stretched  across  the  diameter  of  the  well, 
and  had  evidently  furnished  at  one  time  support 
for  a  flag-staff,  to  further  keep  up  to  the  outside 
world  the  deception  of  a  roof  ;  but  otherwise  the 
inside  was  perfectly  smooth,  even  the  holes  where 
the  steps  were  pulled  out  not  showing,  which  bore 
evidence  to  the  fact  that  they  worked  in  the  thick- 
ness of  the  wall. 

Down  at  the  level  of  the  roof  two  or  three  little 
beams  of  light  marked  the  location  of  certain  gar- 
goyles or  antique  water-spouts,  which  Stanley  had 
noticed  on  the  outside,  and  marvelled  that  they 
should  have  been  placed  in  the  middle  instead  of 
the  top  of  the  tower.  These  explained  the  absence 
of  water  in  the  well. 

Looking  down,  as  his  eyes  became  accustomed 
to  the  gloom,  he  was  able  to  see  something  of  the 
nature  of  the  roof,  which  must  enclose  the  secret 
chamber.  It  was  covered  with  dust  and  debris, 
but  he  was  positive  he  could  distinguish  certain 
little  bumps  or  lumps,  which  he  shrewdly  guessed 
to  be  thick  diamond  panes  of  glass,  set  in  lead, 
and  which,  as  he  conjectured,  furnished  light  to 
the  room  beneath.  Entrance  to  this  apartment 
seemed  totally  lacking  from  the  roof,  or  else  con- 
cealed by  the  dust  of  centuries.  No  staircase 
could  he  discover  on  the  inside  of  the  well,  and 
he  was  about  to  relegate  it  to  the  limbo  of  un- 
fathomable mystery,  when  a  startling  discovery 
gave  him  the  key  to  the  whole  matter.  It  was, 
he  saw,  manifestly  impossible  to  go  down  inside 
without  falling,  after  which,  if  not  killed  by  the 
23 


354  Parlous  Times  • 

shock,  he  would  be  left  to  starve  at  his  leisure, 
while  his  friends  searched  the  country-side  for 
him.  But  if  to  descend  within  was  impossible,  to 
descend  without  presented  almost  as  many  diffi- 
culties. To  go  over  the  battlements  as  he  had 
come,  was  well-nigh  hopeless ;  but  if  he  could 
walk  along  their  inner  rim  fora  foot  or  two, round 
the  next  embrasure,  to  the  natural  slanting  en- 
trance which  was  directly  over  the  first  step,  the 
descent  would  be,  comparatively  speaking,  easy. 
To  rise  from  his  present  posture  and  assume  a 
standing  position  on  the  twelve-inch  rim  of  a 
structure  eighty  feet  in  the  air  requires  a  steady 
head,  and  though  the  Secretary  was  possessed  of 
this,  he  did  not  at  all  relish  the  undertaking.  It 
had  to  be  done,  however ;  but  after  his  previous 
experience  he  determined  to  take  no  more  risks, 
and  reaching  out  from  his  position  of  vantage,  he 
tested  carefully  every  step  of  the  way.  At  last 
only  the  slanting  step  remained.  Reaching  far 
over  he  touched  it  with  his  hand,  when,  to  his 
horror,  it  practically  revolved,  now  pointing  down 
into  the  interior  of  the  tower,  its  outward  end 
pointing  up.  He  shuddered  when  he  saw  the  fate 
which  the  fortunate  accident  to  the  stanchion  had 
caused  him  to  escape.  Had  he  descended  in  the 
regular  way  and  stepped  upon  the  slanting  plate, 
the  instant  his  foot  passed  its  centre  of  equilibrium, 
it  would  have  revolved,  and  without  a  doubt  flung 
him  down  into  the  interior  of  the  well.  It  was  a 
cursed,  mediaeval  trick,  a  fitting  accompaniment 
to  the  inquisitorial  horrors  of  those  ages — an  Eng- 


The  Top  of  the  Tower  355 

lish  oubliette.  If  the  fall  did  not  finish  the  dar- 
ing invader  of  the  tower — the  inhabitants  of  the 
secret  chamber  doubtless  had  means  to  insure  his 
end,  or  perhaps  he  was  merely  left  to  starve. 

Touching  the  plate  once  more  he  pushed  it 
back  to  its  original  position,  and  found  that  it 
remained  stationary.  As  long  as  he  kept  on  the 
outward  side  he  was  safe,  and  if  the  Secretary 
observed  this  rule  he  could  easily  avail  himself  of 
the  plate  to  descend  by,  for  the  perpetrators  of  the 
villainous  arrangement  had  evidently  not  thought 
it  necessary  to  make  it  entirely  revolve,  as  one 
who  had  once  gone  up  the  tower  was  never 
expected  to  come  down  the  outside  again.  And 
now,  with  great  caution,  he  wormed  his  way  to 
the  treacherous  step,  and  with  still  greater  care 
placed  his  foot  on  its  outer  edge;  it  held  firm,  and 
he  ventured  to  plant  both  his  feet  upon  it.  But, 
alas !  he  has  forgotten  how  slippery  a  flag  of  slate, 
polished  by  two  hundred  years'  exposure  to  the 
elements,  may  become.  His  feet  slipped  from 
under  him,  and  in  striving  to  save  himself  he 
overbalanced  the  stone.  Instantly  it  revolved, 
and  a  second  later  he  found  himself  suspended 
over  the  well,  with  only  the  strength  of  a  despair- 
ing  grasp  on  the  edges  of  the  slate  between  him 
and  eternity. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 

THE  SECRET  OF  THE  DOOR 

Miss  FITZGERALD'S  disclosures  to  the  Mar- 
chioness,  as  it  turned  out,  rather  helped  than 
hindered  those  principally  concerned,  for  Mr. 
Lambert  met  her  Ladyship  at  the  church,  and  his 
explanations  took  the  keen  edge  off  the  wrath 
which  she  vented  on  her  daughter  a  little  later, 
and  in  the  midst  of  which  Lieutenant  Kingsland 
arrived,  with  ample  assurances  of  worldly  pros- 
perity, which  overcame  her  strongest  objections, 
and  went  far  to  reconcile  her  to  the  inevitable. 
Her  disappointment,  however,  was  keen,  and  her 
temper  suffered  in  consequence,  so  that  dinner, 
at  which  the  Secretary's  unaccountable  absence 
formed  the  chief  topic  of  conversation,  was 
distinctly  not  a  success,  and  the  ladies  retired 
early,  leaving  the  gentlemen  to  their  own  de- 
vices. 

Miss  Fitzgerald  claimed  to  join  in  the  general 
hegira,  but  her  actions  belied  her  words,  for 
shortly  after  she  was  supposed  to  have  gone  to 
her  room,  her  figure,  its  white  dinner  dress  con- 
cealed by  a  long  grey  cloak,  might  have  been  seen 
gliding  across  the  lawn  in  the  direction  of  the 
inn. 

356 


The  Secret  of  the  Door          357 

The  night  was  pregnant  with  great  events,  though 
outwardly  calm  and  beautiful,  and  the  great  hall 
in  which  Mr.  Riddle,  Kent-Lauriston,  and  the 
Lieutenant  stood  smoking,  after  having  been  dis- 
missed from  the  drawing-room,  was  flooded  with 
moonlight. 

"  I  say,"  remarked  Kingsland  irrelevantly,  after 
a  long  interval  broken  only  by  the  conscientious 
puffing  of  cigarettes,  "  how  that  mediaeval  prize 
puzzle  shows  up  in  the  moonlight." 

"The  secret  door?"  asked  Kent-Lauriston. 
"  Yes,  it  does.  I  heard  the  butler  making  his 
plaint  about  it  yesterday.  It  appears  it's  no  joke 
to  keep  those  nails  polished." 

"  I  shouldn't  think  it  would  be,  and  I  dare  say 
the  bulk  of  the  servants  wouldn't  touch  it  with  a 
ten-foot  pole.  I  wonder  what's  behind  it,  any- 
way." 

Nobody  said  anything. 

"I  wonder  if  Darcy'll  ever  get  his  letter?" 
asked  Kent-Lauriston,  glancing  at  Mr.  Riddle. 
"  Anyway,  it's  as  safe  behind  that  portal  as  if  it 
was  in  the  Bank  of  England.  Safer,  in  fact,  for 
he  can't  get  it  out  if  he  wants  to." 

"  I  don't  think  there's  much  chance  of  anyone's 
opening  it,"  said  Mr.  Riddle.  "  Cleverer  men  than 
Colonel  Darcy  have  tried  to  solve  that  problem 
in  the  last  two  centuries,  and  failed,  I  imagine, 
however,  if  it  ever  does  come  to  be  opened,  that 
a  certain  theory  will  be  proved  correct." 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  asked  Kingsland. 

"  That  the  prophecy  tells  only  half  the  story. 


358  Parlous  Times 

To  press  the  nails  they  must  be  flexible,  but 
they're  firm  and  immovable." 

"  Well  ?  " 

"  Well,  it's  evident  that  there  is  some  catch  or 
spring  to  be  worked  first." 

"  How  do  you  make  that  out  ?  " 

"  These  five  nails  we  hear  so  much  about  are 
really  the  key  to  the  lock,  but  until  the  movable 
impediments — or,  to  give  them  their  technical 
name,  the  '  tumblers ' — are  so  arranged  as  to  re- 
lease the  key,  the  lock  cannot  be  opened." 

"  It's  a  rum  sort  of  key,  with  no  keyhole," 
said  Kingsland. 

"  The  key  to  open  this  lock  is  a  mental  one, 
rather  than  one  of  steel  and  iron.  In  other  words, 
a  puzzle  lock  like  this  always  has  certain  movable 
parts,  the  movement  of  which  constitutes  the 
enigma." 

44  Ever  heard  of  any  locks  like  this  one  ?  " 

"  Not  exactly,  but  the  Russians,  Hindoos  and 
the  Chinese  have  their  puzzle  locks  in  the  shape 
of  birds  or  animals,  and  they're  locked  or  un- 
locked by  pressing  certain  parts  of  their  bodies. 
You  can  depend  on  it,  some  spring  must  be 
worked  first,  which  relieves  the  nails  from  their  ten- 
sion and  permits  one  to  work  the  combination." 

"  But  no  such  catch  or  spring  is  visible." 

11  Of  course  not.  It  would  be  the  most  carefully 
concealed  of  all  the  mechanism  ;  but  some  lucky 
fellow  will  stumble  on  it  eventually,  and  if  he  has 
presence  of  mind  enough  to  press  the  nails  also — 
Presto  !  your  door  will  fly  open." 


The  Secret  of  the  Door          359 

"  And  what  will  he  find  ?  "  asked  Kent-Lau- 
riston. 

"  From  present  appearances,"  replied  Mr.  Rid- 
dle, "  a  little  pile  of  dust,  which  some  centuries 
before  was  a  letter " 

"  I  shouldn't  be  satisfied  with  anything  less 
than  a  mouldering  skeleton  in  chains,"  said  Kings- 
land. 

"  Or  a  complicated  astrological  machine,  such  as 
one  hears  about  in  Bulwer's  grewsome  ghost 
story,"  added  Kent-Lauriston. 

"  The  inhabitants  of  this  house  are  too  unfeign- 
edly  easy-going  and  comfortable  to  admit  of 
such  a  supposition,"  replied  Kingsland,  and  turn- 
ing to  Kent-Lauriston,  added  :  "  What  do  you 
think  is  inside  the  Tower?" 

"  I  don't  know,  and  if  I  did,  I  shouldn't  tell 
anyone." 

"Why  not?" 

"  Because  if  its  contents  are  so  unpleasant, 
that  they  had  to  shut  it  up  for  ever,  it  certainly 
wouldn't  prove  a  fit  subject  for  conversation." 

"  Well,  anyhow,"  said  the  Lieutenant,  "  I  trust 
the  discoverer  will  be  a  short  man,  or  he'll  hit  his 
head  a  nasty  crack,  when  he  tries  to  go  in." 

"  Wrong  again,"  said  Mr.  Riddle.  "  I  think 
you'll  admit  that  I'm  medium  height  for  a  man  ; 
but  if  I  stood  with  my  back  to  the  door,  my  head 
wouldn't  hit  the  top  of  the  arch." 

"  Nonsense.     Let's  see." 

Riddle  took  up  the  position  indicated,  facing 
them. 


360  Parlous  Times 

"  You're  right !  "  ejaculated  the  young  officer. 
"  I'm  amazed  !  I  supposed  it  was  much  lower. 
What  do  you  measure  ?  " 

"  Five  feet  eight  inches.  But  it  is  the  extreme 
width  of  the  portal  which  makes  it  deceptive  ;  it 
lowers  it.  I  think,  if  I  stretched  out  my  arms, 
straight  from  the  shoulder,  I  should  no  more  than 

touch  the  side — see "  and  he  made  a  great 

cross  of  himself,  against  the  black  oak. 

"  What  are  you  fumbling  at  ?  "  asked  Kingsland 
sharply. 

"  My  fingers  hardly  touch — it's  a  stretch.  Ah ! 
now  they  do." 

"  You  look  ghastly  in  the  moonlight ;  put  your 
arms  down  and  come  away." 

"  I'm  very  comfortable  here,  barring  my  back  ; 
those  silver  nails  are  rather  sharp,"  and  he  put  his 
hands  behind  him. 

"  Come  away,"  said  Kingsland,  nervously,  seeing 
something  in  his  face  he  did  not  like.  "  You  look 
as  if  you'd  been  walled  up  a  few  months  ago,  by 
some  inquisition,  and  we'd  just  unearthed  you  in 
your  niche." 

"  By  heavens !  some  of  these  nails  are  loose ! " 
cried  Riddle. 

"  Nonsense  !  "  retorted  Kingsland.  "  You've 
thought  so  much  about  it,  you'd  imagine  anything. 
They're  as  firm  as — well,  nails.  I  tried  them  my- 
self. That  door  won't  be  opened  in  our  lifetime, 
unless —  '  but  the  Lieutenant  never  finished 
his  sentence,  for  he  had  paused  suddenly,  in  open- 
mouthed  astonishment.  Without  warning,  and 


The  Secret  of  the  Door          361 

without  a  sound,  the  portal,  closed  for  centuries, 
swung  slowly  inward,  carrying  Riddle  with  it ; 
who,  catching  in  vain  at  the  sides  of  the  door  in 
an  attempt  to  save  himself,  fell  heavily  backwards 
down  three  steps  into  the  secret  chamber. 

Seeing  that  he  did  not  immediately  rise,  but 
turned  over  partially  on  his  side,  Kingsland  recol- 
lecting himself,  sprang  forward  to  his  aid,  crying  : 

"  Have  you  hurt  yourself  ?  " 

"  No,  no,"  he  replied,  waving  him  off,  and  slowly 
rising  from  the  floor,  covered  with  dust. 

"  By  Jove  !  "  exclaimed  the  Lieutenant.  "  How 
did  you  ever  do  it?  " 

"  Don't  know,  I'm  sure,"  replied  Riddle,  emerg- 
ing from  the  portal,  and  vigorously  brushing 
himself.  "  As  I  told  you,  the  nails,  or  some  of 
them,  felt  loose — I  pushed  them,  and  the  next 
thing  I  knew  the  door  revolved  and  I  was  on  the 
floor." 

"  You're  a  genius !  "  exclaimed  Kingsland. 
"  But,"  peering  down  into  the  darkness  of  the 
tower,  "  where's  Darcy's  letter  ?  " 

"  We  need  a  little  light  on  the  subject,"  said 
Mr.  Riddle.  Stepping  to  the  fireplace,  he  lighted 
an  old  wrought-iron  sconce,  full  of  candles,  which 
stood  on  the  broad  mantelshelf,  and  approached 
the  secret  door. 

In  the  light  of  the  candles,  all  could  see  that, 
except  for  the  little  space  into  which  he  had  fallen, 
the  whole  interior  of  the  tower  was  filled  by  a 
narrow  stone  staircase,  which,  in  its  ascent,  half 
turned  upon  itself.  Of  the  missing  document, 


362  Parlous  Times 

however,  there  was  not  a  trace.  The  stillness  in 
the  great  hall  was  oppressive.  Even  their  own 
footsteps  on  the  stones  seemed,  to  the  hearers, 
preternaturally  loud. 

Mr.  Riddle  raised  the  sconce  above  his  head, 
and  there  burst  on  a  sudden  a  shimmering  flash 
of  a  thousand  prismatic  colours  from  the  head  of 
the  staircase.  He  fell  back  a  step,  as  did  the 
others,  and  Kingsland  murmured  in  awe-struck 
tones : — 

"What's  that?" 

Riddle  again  raised  the  sconce,  and  again  the 
burst  of  light  from  the  head  of  the  stairs  over- 
whelmed him,  but  this  time  he  stood  his 
ground. 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  asked  Kent-Lauriston. 

"  I  don't  know." 

"Let  us  examine." 

"  As  far  as  I  can  make  out,  it's  a  flexible  curtain 
of  chain  mail — hung  across  the  staircase." 

"  I  swear  it  moved,"  said  the  Lieutenant. 

"  No,  it  was  the  light  which  moved,"  replied 
the  discoverer.  "You  see,"  and  he  swayed  the 
sconce  from  side  to  side,  making  the  curtain  ap- 
pear to  be  moving  silently. 

"  If  I  take  the  light  away,"  he  continued, 
"  there's  nothing  to  be  seen ;  "  and  he  removed 
the  sconce,  leaving  only  the  black  mass  of  the 
steel  curtain  visible. 

"  Nothing  to  be  seen — isn't  there  ?  Look  there ! " 
whispered  Kingsland,  and,  following  the  direction 
of  his  eyes,  the  others  saw  a  broad  band  of  blood- 


i  The  Secret  of  the  Door  363 

red  light  steal  out  of  the  blackness,  across  the 
steps  at  the  head  of  the  staircase. 

"  That  room  has  been  closed  for  centuries,  and 
yet  there  is  a  light  burning,"  he  continued 
hoarsely.  "  Shut  the  door,  my  dear  fellow,  and 
let's  get  away." 

"  It  merely  confirms  another  theory  of  mine," 
said  Riddle,  "  which  is,  that,  as  there  are  no  win- 
dows on  the  outside  of  the  tower,  they  must  have 
got  their  light  and  ventilation  from  the  roof.  I 
think  it's  fair  to  suppose  that  they  used  red  glass, 
and  that  the  full  moon  is  shining  through  it." 

"  Then  you  can  go  and  prove  it  if  you  like,  but 
if  you  take  my  advice,  you'd  better  leave  it  alone." 

"  I  don't  like,  my  dear  Kingsland,  though  I'm 
going,  just  the  same.  I  daresay  I  shall  find  some- 
thing very  nasty  at  the  head  of  the  stairs,  but  it 
won't  be  supernatural.  If  I  want  you,  I'll  call  you. 
If  not,  wait  till  I  come  back."  Putting  down  the 
sconce,  he  slipped  off  his  dress  coat,  and  crossing 
the  hall,  picked  up  a  stout  hunting  crop,  the 
property  of  the  Lieutenant,  while  his  two  compan- 
ions stood  staring  at  the  blood-red  band  of  light 
which  lay  across  the  steps,  and  which  seemed  to 
their  excited  imagination  to  grow  broader  and 
deeper. 

"  What  do  you  think  he'll  find  up  there  ?  "  asked 
Kingsland. 

Kent-Lauriston  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  I  don't  wish  to  think,"  he  replied.  "  But  I'm 
certain  that,  to  this  very  day,  there  lie  hidden  away 
in  some  of  our  old  country  houses  the  ghastliest 


364  Parlous  Times 

secrets  of  mediaeval  times,  the  fruit  of  crimes  and 
passions,  of  which,  happily,  even  the  names 
have  perished." 

"  What's  that  ?  "  said  the  young  officer,  laying 
his  hand  on  his  companion's  arm,  and  in  the  silence 
both  distinctly  heard  the  click  of  a  latch,  and 
facing  round  at  the  same  moment,  confronted  the 
white  face  of  Colonel  Darcy,  framed  in  the  hall 
door. 

In  an  instant  he  was  at  their  side,  drawing  a 
quick  hissing  breath  and  exclaiming : — 

"  It's  open.     Where's  my  letter?  " 

"  There  is  no  letter,"  said  Kingsland  gruffly. 
"  But  you  gave  us  a  jolly  good  start,  creeping  in. 
This  ghost  business  sets  one's  nerves  all  on  edge." 

"  Who  opened  the  door?  " 

"  I  did,"  said  Mr.  Riddle,  coming  up  just  at  that 
moment. 

"  Ah !     Then  you  have  my  letter." 

"  No,  I  haven't  seen  a  trace  of  it.  It  may  be  up 
aloft." 

"  I  believe  there's  some  living  object  up  aloft," 
said  Kingsland.  "  If  you  take  my  advice,  you'll 
shut  the  door,  and  leave  it  and  the  letter  in  per- 
petual seclusion." 

"  I  don't  care  whether  it's  a  man  or  a  devil ! " 
cried  Darcy,  who,  whatever  else  may  be  said  of 
him,  did  not  know  the  meaning  of  fear.  And 
as  he  spoke,  he  set  one  foot  upon  the  lower 
step. 

"  Hold  on  !  "  cried  Kent-Lauriston.  "  There's 
something  up  there,  and,  what's  more,  it's  coming 


The  Secret  of  the  Door  365 

down."  And  as  he  spoke,  a  sound  was  heard  in 
the  long  closed  chamber,  and  as  the  listeners  held 
their  breath,  something  slowly  approached  the 
steel  curtain,  which  swung  out  noiselessly  as  if 
waving  in  a  ghostly  wind. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 

WITHIN     THE     TOWER 

STANLEY'S  first  thought  as  he  hung  suspended 
over  the  gulf,  when  the  plate  had  so  treacher- 
ously revolved,  was  of  self-preservation.  And, 
indeed,  he  had  need  to  think,  for  it  seemed  highly 
probable  that  within  the  next  few  minutes  he 
might  be  dashed  to  pieces  on  the  floor  of  the  secret 
chamber,  forty  feet  below.  To  pull  himself  up 
over  that  slippery  stone  was,  he  found,  a  sheer  im- 
possibility. To  let  go  of  his  precarious  hold  and 
drop  to  the  bottom  of  the  well  was  certain  death. 
Yet  the  sharp  edges  of  the  plate  were  already 
cutting  into  his  hands,  and  it  could  only  be  a  mat- 
ter of  a  few  moments  when  his  arms  would  refuse 
to  support  any  longer  the  weight  of  his  body. 
Evidently  he  must  find  some  means  of  escape 
from  these  two  alternatives,  and  that  right  speedily, 
or  for  him  the  end  of  all  things  would  beat  hand. 
Below  him  the  wall  stretched  smooth  as  glass. 
No  vine  grew  upon  it  to  which  he  might  cling,  no 
crevice  in  which  he  might  put  his  foot.  He  cast 
his  eye  round  in  a  wild  search  for  some  possible 
means  of  salvation,  and,  as  he  did  so,  he  saw  one 
infinitesimal  chance  of  escape.  So  slight  was  it, 
366 


Within  the  Tower  367 

that  no  one,  in  less  desperate  straits,  would  have 
dared  to  take  the  risk,  but  he  had  no  choice. 

He  had  noticed,  when  taking  his  precarious  walk 
along  the  edge  of  the  battlements,  that  an  old 
rusty  iron  chain  was  loosely  twisted  round  the  bar 
which  stretched  across  the  diameter  of  the  well, 
about  on  a  level  with  where  he  hung  suspended. 
It  might  be  possible,  springing  into  the  air,  to 
catch  the  end  of  this  chain,  which  terminated  in  a 
ring.  He  had  done  that  sort  of  thing  more  than 
once  in  gymnasiums,  though  under  very  much 
more  favourable  conditions.  Even  if  he  succeeded 
in  catching  the  ring  in  his  flight,  he  might  only 
find  himself  in  a  worse  position.  The  chain  might 
refuse  to  unwind  from  the  bar,  or  the  whole  con- 
trivance, rusted  by  years  of  exposure,  might  snap 
under  his  weight.  But  even  if  this  were  so,  he 
reflected,  he  could  but  drop  to  the  bottom  of  the 
well,  which  he  was  bound  to  do  in  any  event,  if 
he  stayed  where  he  was,  while  every  foot  that  the 
chain  unrolled  before  breaking  was  twelve  inches 
less  for  him  to  fall.  Evidently  there  was  not  an 
instant  to  lose,  for  his  fingers  were  already  get- 
ting stiff  and  numb  with  the  tension  they  were 
undergoing.  So,  setting  his  teeth,  he  sprang  into 
the  air,  on  this  last  desperate  venture.  For  one 
horrid  second  he  felt  the  ring  which  his  fingers 
touched,  slipping  through  his  grasp.  Then  with 
one  supreme  effort,  he  crooked  his  hand  through 
it,  and  swung  suspended  by  one  arm.  A  moment 
later,  he  had  brought  his  other  hand  to  his  aid. 
But  scarcely  had  he  steadied  himself,  when  the 


368  Parlous  Times 

bar,  round  which  the  chain  was  wound,  and  which 
evidently  worked  in  a  socket,  began  to  revolve. 
It  was  rusty  and  out  of  gear,  and  as  it  let  him 
down,  it  gave  him  the  most  frightful  series  of 
jerks,  which  seemed  to  dislocate  every  bone  in  his 
body.  It  would  let  out  three  or  four  feet  of  chain 
at  lightning  speed,  and  then,  catching  in  its  rusty 
gearings,  would  stop  with  a  racking  jerk,  remain- 
ing still  perhaps  a  whole  minute,  before  it  moved 
on  again,  to  repeat  the  operation.  Moreover,  as 
he  got  farther  and  farther  down  the  well,  and 
there  was  a  greater  length  of  chain  above  him,  it 
began  to  oscillate  frightfully,  twirling  him  round 
in  one  direction  till  his  head  swam,  and  then  revers- 
ing the  operation.  All  tortures  must  come  to  an 
end,  however,  and  when  he  was  ten  feet  from  the 
bottom  of  the  well,  a  corroded  link  snapped,  and 
he  dropped  the  remaining  distance  like  a  log, 
bringing  down  thirty  feet  of  iron  chain  on  top  of 
him. 

The  blow  which  he  received  rendered  him  in- 
stantly unconscious,  and  it  was  hours  later  before 
he  came  to  himself.  His  first  knowledge  of  the 
world  and  things  in  general  was  a  realisation  that 
in  some  mysterious  way  the  entire  firmament  was 
divided  in  half  by  a  black  band,  and  it  was  only 
as  his  brain  became  a  little  clearer  that  he  realised 
that  he  was  lying  on  his  back  looking  up  at  the 
rim  of  the  well.  He  sat  up,  and  examined  him- 
self critically.  He  had  evidently  cut  his  head 
slightly,  for  it  was  still  bleeding.  Moreover,  he 
was  black  and  blue  from  head  to  foot,  but  he  was 


Within  the  Tower  369 

rejoiced  to  find,  after  a  careful  examination,  that 
no  bones  were  broken,  nor  had  he  even  suffered  a 
sprain,  and  in  a  few  moments  he  was  able  to  stand 
upright. 

His  position,  however,  was  none  the  less  pre- 
carious. The  breaking  of  the  chain  had  ended  for 
ever  any  chance  of  his  ascending  the  tower,  and 
he  must  either  effect  an  entrance  through  the  roof 
or  depend  on  the  very  uncertain  chance  of  attract- 
ing notice  from  without,  to  escape  starvation. 

Lying  face  down  on  the  floor  of  the  roof,  he 
tried  to  look  out  of  the  little  holes  in  the  mouths 
of  the  gargoyles,  but  could  see  nothing,  and  from 
the  appearance  of  the  sky  over  his  head,  he  judged 
that  it  must  be  growing  dark.  This  reminded 
him  of  his  bicycle  lamp,  which  a  hasty  examina- 
tion proved  to  be  intact,  and  feeling  that  he  would 
at  least  have  light  for  his  investigations,  was  a  great 
source  of  comfort  to  him. 

His  next  procedure  was  to  examine  the  roof. 
Here,  fate  once  more  befriended  him,  for  he  very 
quickly  found  a  trap-door  and,  moreover,  was  able 
to  lift  it.  Looking  down  he  could  see  nothing  but 
utter  darkness.  However,  this  did  not  deter  him, 
and  he  hastily  made  his  arrangements  for  further 
investigation,  first  taking  the  precaution  to  light 
a  match  and  drop  it  into  the  opening.  It  fell 
about  ten  or  twelve  feet,  evidently  striking  the 
floor  and  burning  there  a  minute  or  two  before  it 
went  out.  It  revealed  nothing  but  surrounding 
darkness,  but  it  apprised  him  of  the  fact  he  was 

most  desirous  to  know,  that  the  atmosphere  was 
24 


37°  Parlous  Times 

not  mephitical.  He  determined,  nevertheless,  to 
take  his  time  about  descending,  and  left  the  trap- 
door wide  open,  so  that  as  much  fresh  air  might 
get  in  as  possible. 

In  the  interval  he  amused  himself  by  taking  off 
one  of  his  socks  and  unravelling  it  as  best  he  could. 
Weaving  a  cord  with  the  thread  thus  obtained,  he 
lowered  his  bicycle  lantern,  which  he  had  lighted, 
into  the  room  below,  swinging  it  gently  back  and 
forwards.  Its  glancing  rays  told  him  that  the 
apartment  was  entirely  bare  and  deserted,  and 
showed  him  also  a  narrow  wooden  ladder,  black 
with  age,  leading  up  to  the  trap-door  above  which 
he  stood.  Drawing  up  the  light,  he  took  it  in  his 
hand,  and  being  cautious  after  his  recent  experi- 
ence, reached  down  and  tested  each  round  of  the 
ladder  most  carefully.  To  his  surprise  it  held  his 
weight,  and  a  moment  later  he  was  on  the  floor 
of  the  secret  chamber. 

The  apartment  had  no  secrets  to  reveal.  It  was 
absolutely  bare,  and  empty  of  anything  except  a 
broken  old  sconce  lying  in  a  corner.  The  whole 
room,  however,  was  indescribably  dusty  and 
musty,  and  he  was  very  thankful  to  push  aside  a 
curtain  of  chain  mail  and  descend  the  staircase. 

At  its  foot  he  saw  lying  the  coveted  papers. 
Forgetful  of  everything  else,  he  sat  down  upon 
the  lowest  step,  and  by  the  light  of  his  lantern 
proceeded  to  examine  them.  They  more  than 
fulfilled  his  utmost  expectations.  There  was  a 
complete  cipher  and  its  key,  a  full  list  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  cabinet  who  were  to  pass  upon  the 


Within  the  Tower  371 

treaty,  with  comments  on  each,  and  a  memoran- 
dum of  the  amounts  to  be  given  to  certain  of 
them,  coupled  with  suggestions  as  to  the  attitude 
which  Darcy  should  take  towards  others,  together 
with  precise  instructions  as  to  the  carrying  out  of 
the  plot ;  the  whole  signed  by  Riddle  in  the  inter- 
ests of  the  firm.  The  evidence  was  complete,  and 
Stanley  gasped  as  he  realised  the  advantage  of 
this  tremendous  stroke  of  luck.  One  fact  which 
his  perusal  had  elicited  caused  him  to  draw  a  long 
sigh  of  relief.  Miss  Fitzgerald's  name  was  not 
mentioned  in  the  incriminating  document,  and  so 
much  did  he  wish  to  believe  her  innocent,  that  in 
spite  of  all  accumulated  evidence,  he  felt  a  sense 
of  exultation  that  he  could  still,  if  worst  came  to 
worst,  shield  her  from  the  effects  of  her  own  folly. 
He  told  himself  that  he  might,  after  all,  prove  to 
the  satisfaction  of  his  own  conscience  that  she  was 
innocent  of  criminal  intent.  Darcy  he  would  have 
no  mercy  for.  He  must  be  punished  for  his 
crime,  and  the  fact  of  his  being  the  criminal  would 

give  Inez  her   freedom,  and  then Ah !  but 

if  Belle  Fitzgerald  was  innocent — was  he  not  in 
honour  bound  to  her  ?  And  at  that  moment  he 
realised  that  he  had  mistaken  pity  for  love,  that 
Darcy  possessed  the  woman  in  the  world  most 
worth  having,  and  that  he  was  unworthy  of 
her. 

His  meditations  were  interrupted  by  the  sound 
of  voices  near  him.  Somebody  laid  a  hand  on 
the  other  side  of  the  door.  They  were  tampering 
with  it  again,  and,  for  more  reasons  than  one,  he 


372  Parlous  Times 

wanted  the  fact  of  his  having  gained  entrance  to 
the  tower  to  remain  a  secret.  Putting  the  letter 
in  his  inside  pocket,  he  softly  retraced  his  steps 
to  the  upper  chamber. 

To  his  consternation,  he  had  scarcely  reached 
there  when  the  door  below  was  opened.  How  this 
had  been  effected,  he  did  not  know.  He  had  been 
so  interested  in  the  documents,  that  he  had  had  no 
time  to  examine  the  mechanism  of  the  portal.  At 
first  he  heard  only  the  voices  of  Riddle  and  Kings- 
land.  Fearing  that  the  conspirators  only  were 
present,  and  that,  being  three  to  one,  he  might  be 
overpowered,  and  his  precious  evidence  wrested 
from  him,  he  endeavoured,  by  the  agitation  of  the 
steel  curtain  and  the  red  light  of  his  lamp,  to  con- 
trive such  ghostly  illusions,  as  should  serve  to 
deter  them  from  investigating  the  upper  portions 
of  the  tower.  It  can  be  imagined  therefore  what 
a  welcome  relief  Kent-Lauriston's  tones  were  to 
him,  and  the  instant  he  knew  that  his  friend  was 
below,  he  felt  perfectly  safe  from  an  attack  by 
force.  He  therefore  lost  no  time  in  descending, 
his  footsteps  producing,  as  we  have  seen,  a  most 
startling  effect  on  those  below. 

Kent-Lauriston  was  the  first  to  recognise  him, 
and  seeing  at  a  glance  that  his  clothes  were  torn 
and  spotted  with  blood,  he  sprang  forward  to 
assist  his  friend  and  helped  him  into  the  hall. 

"  Where's  my  letter,  you  thief?"  cried   Darcy. 

"  You've  come  too  late,"  replied  the  Secretary, 
recovering  himself.  "You've  come  too  late.  The 
treaty  will  go  through." 


Within  the  Tower  373 

Darcy  growled  an  oath  as  the  measure  of  the 
Secretary's  knowledge  became  known  to  him. 

"  I  know  who's  put  you  on  to  it,"  he  cried. 
"  It's  that  cursed  Irish !  " 

"  Go  !  "  cried  Stanley,  in  a  burst  of  wrath  at  this 
insult  to  a  woman.  "  Go,  before  I  knock  you  down, 
and  as  you  value  your  safety,  meet  me  here  at 
eleven  to-morrow  morning.  You've  held  the 
whip  hand  long  enough.  It's  my  turn  now." 


CHAPTER  XXXV 

THE    SHORT    WAY  OUT 

"  I  SUPPOSE  it's  hardly  necessary  to  ask  if  you 
found  Darcy's  letter?"  said  Kent-Lauriston  to  the 
Secretary,  as  they  were  returning  to  the  house 
about  an  hour  later  from  a  trip  to  the  telegraph 
office,  whither  Stanley  had  gone  to  send  a  long 
message  in  cipher  to  his  Chief. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  he  said.  "  I  have  it  in  my  posses- 
sion." 

"  Does  it  give  you  all  the  information  you  re- 
quired ?" 

"  As  a  bit  of  evidence  it's  overwhelmingly  com- 
plete— but  it  gives  me  some  additional  informa- 
tion which  is  not  so  pleasant,"  replied  the  Secre- 
tary, who  had  needed  no  second  glance  at  the  doc- 
ument to  assure  himself  that  it  was  Mr.  Riddle's 
letter  and  had  been  once  before  in  his  possession. 

"  I've  no  desire  to  pry  into  your  affairs,  either 
private  or  diplomatic,  my  dear  fellow  ;  but  of 
course  I'm  able  to  infer  a  good  deal,  and  if  you 
felt  inclined  to  assure  me,  that  this  made  you 
master  of  the  situation,  and  placed  Darcy  com- 
pletely in  your  power,  it  would  make  me  feel 
very  much  easier." 
374 


The  Short  Way  Out  375 

"  Then  you  may  be  quite  easy,"  returned  the 
Secretary.  "  I  hold  all  the  trumps.  I  could  have 
the  Colonel  arrested  to-night,  if  I  chose,  and  my 
evidence  is  of  such  a  nature  that  it  will  practi- 
cally banish  him  from  his  country  and  from  mine." 

"  That's  very  satisfactoiy,  but  let  me  caution 
you  to  go  slow.  Darcy  is  a  man  of  many  ex- 
pedients. I  should  keep  something  in  reserve,  if 
I  were  able." 

"  My  instructions  insist  on  practically  that 
course  of  action." 

"  I'm  very  glad  to  hear  it — as  you  grow  older, 
you'll  discover  that  the  shrewdest  policy  in  the 
game  of  life,  as  in  the  game  of  whist,  is  always 
to  keep  in  hand  a  card  of  re-entry.  And  you 
may  take  my  word  for  it,  that  Darcy  is  the  pivot 
on  which  all  these  little  conspiracies  revolve. 
Hold  him,  and  you  can  dictate  terms  to  both 
Kingsland  and  Miss  Fitzgerald.  By  the  way,  have 
you  succeeded  in  receiving  your  congSyet?" 

"  I  haven't  yet  received  a  definite  answer." 

"  Answer  ! — haven't  you  made  it  clear  to  her 
what  that  answer  is  to  be  ?  " 

"  I  hope  so.  In  fact,  I'm  sure  she  must  under- 
stand." 

"Then  if  she  doesn't  refuse  you,  you'll  be  quite 
justified  in  refusing  her." 

"  I  can't  be  too  hard  on  a  woman,  Kent-Lauris- 
ton." 

"  But  you  cannot  marry  her." 

"  Not  if  my  suspicions  are  true,  and  that  my 
conference  with  the  Colonel  to-morrow  will  prove. 


376  Parlous  Times 

Now,  don't  say  any  more  about  it,  for  I  want  to 
go  to  bed,  and  try  not  to  think." 

Stanley  slept  little  that  night,  and  the  arrival 
of  an  early  telegram  from  his  Minister  was  a  wel- 
come relief.  It  contained  only  a  brief  word  of 
praise,  and  the  information  that  John,  the  messen- 
ger, would  arrive  by  the  ten  o'clock  train  with  a 
letter  of  instructions,  pending  the  receipt  of  which 
he  was  to  take  no  action.  This  necessitated  an 
early  breakfast,  as  the  station  was  some  distance 
away.  Before  leaving,  however,  he  sealed  up  the 
precious  document  he  had  found  in  the  secret 
chamber,  and  entrusted  it  to  his  friend's  care; 
begging  him,  should  he  not  return,  through  any 
foul  play  of  the  Colonel's,  to  see  it  safely  delivered 
to  his  Chief  in  London. 

As  he  drove  to  the  train  he  had  plenty  to 
occupy  his  thoughts.  The  letter  had  been  more 
damaging  to  the  cause  of  the  plotters  than  he 
could  have  hoped.  There  was  sufficient  evidence 
to  make  out  a  complete  case,  and  only  the  in- 
tended forbearance  of  the  government  could  shield 
the  Colonel  from  well-merited  disgrace  and  con- 
dign punishment.  In  this  forbearance  Stanley 
saw,  so  to  speak,  his  card  of  re-entry :  but  he  did 
not  see  that  fate  was  going  to  force  him  to  play 
it  in  the  first  round  of  the  game.  It  was  true  he 
was  here  to  bring  Darcy  to  justice  for  crimes  com- 
mitted against  the  State,  but  he  must  not  be 
judged  too  harshly  for  desiring  to  take  advantage 
of  his  position  to  force  the  Colonel  to  do  justice 
jn  quarters  not  political,  He  had  had  great 


The  Short  Way  Out  377 

provocation,  and  the  man  could  be  relied  on  to 
keep  his  word  only  when  the  penalty  for  breaking 
it  was  actual  rather  than  moral. 

Filled  with  these  thoughts  and  impulses,  he 
drew  up  for  a  moment  on  his  way  to  the  station 
at  Madame  Darcy's  cottage,  but  before  he  could 
get  down  from  the  high  dog-cart  she  came  run- 
ning out  to  meet  him. 

"  You  have  good  news,"  she  cried.  "  I  can  see 
it  in  your  face." 

"  Yes,"  he  said.  "  I  got  down,  or  rather  fell 
down,  inside  the  old  tower  last  night,  and  I  have 
the  precious  packet  in  my  possession." 

"  Ah,"  she  said.  "  I  do  not  know  whether  I 
should  be  glad  or  sorry.  If  it  contains  what  I 
suspect,  it  must  mean  so  much  to  me  in  many 
ways." 

"  It  is  just  for  that  reason  that  I  stopped  to  see 
you,"  he  replied.  "  I  wanted  to  set  your  mind  at 
rest." 

"  Then  it  does  not  contain  incriminating  evi- 
dence ?  "  she  asked. 

"  On  the  contrary,  it  puts  everyone  connected 
with  the  plot  completely  in  my  power." 

"  But  then "  she  began. 

"  But  then,"  he  continued,  taking  up  her  words, 
"  I  hope  to  be  able  to  save  your  husband  from 
the  fruits  of  his  folly." 

"  But  is  that  possible  ?  " 

"  I  hope  so.  I  shall  tell  better  after  I  have 
seen  him.  We  are  to  have  an  interview  this 
morning,  and  all  I  can  say  now  Is,  that  you  must 


378  Parlous  Times 

trust  implicitly  in  me  and  believe  that  everything 
will  come  out  all  right  in  the  end." 

"  I  am  so  selfish  that  your  words  make  me  very 
happy,"  said  Madame  Darcy,  "  when  my  heart 
should  be  filled  with  sorrow  at  the  troubles  of  my 
friend.  This  discovery  must  be  a  sad  blow  to 
you." 

"  How  do  you  mean  ?  "  he  said. 

"  Why,  in  regard  to  Miss  Fitzgerald." 

The  Secretary  bit  his  lip. 

"  It  seems  impossible,"  he  said  tersely,  "  for  us 
to  have  a  conversation  without  introducing  her 
name.  Surely  by  this  time  you  must  know " 

"  I  only  know  what  you  have  told  me,"  she 
replied. 

The  Secretary  started  to  say  something  and 
then  thought  better  of  it,  and  contented  himself 
by  remarking : — 

"  My  eyes  have  been  opened  a  good  deal  in  the 
last  few  days,  Inez." 

She  reached  up  and  took  his  hand  in  hers. 

"  My  friend,"  she  said,  "  I  understand." 

For  a  moment  there  was  silence  between  them, 
and  then  pulling  himself  together,  he  explained 
that  he  was  on  his  way  to  an  appointment.  So 
he  left  her,  smiling  at  him  through  her  tears,  for 
in  these  few  moments  Inez  De  Costa  had  found 
great  sorrow  and  great  joy. 


The  station,  a  small  rustic  affair,  at  which  few 
trains  stopped,  seemed  at  first  glance  to  be 


The  Short  Way  Out  379 

of  passengers,  and  on  accosting  a  porter,  the  Sec- 
retary was  informed  that  he  had  yet  nearly  fifteen 
minutes  to  wait. 

"  She's  in  a  siding  in  the  next  station  now,  sir, 
waiting  for  the  London  express  to  pass ;  it  goes 
through  here  in  about  five  minutes,  and  as  soon 
as  the  line's  clear  she'll  be  along." 

Stanley  thanked  him  for  his  information,  and, 
after  spending  a  minute  or  two  with  the  station- 
master,  negotiating  for  a  match,  he  lighted  a  cig- 
arette and  emerged  on  the  little  platform.  To 
his  surprise  he  found  it  tenanted  by  a  solitary 
figure,  and  that  none  other  than  Mr.  Arthur  Rid- 
dle. If  he  had  any  luggage  it  must  have  been  in 
the  luggage-room,  for  he  was  without  sign  of  im- 
pedimenta, excepting  a  stout  stick.  He  wore  a 
long,  black  travelling  cloak,  and  his  white,  drawn 
face  and  the  dark  circles  under  his  eyes  gave  evi- 
dence of  either  a  sleepless  night  or  great  mental 
anxiety,  perhaps  of  both.  He  held  in  his  mouth 
an  unlighted  cigar,  which  he  was  nervously  chew- 
ing to  pieces.  Both  men  became  aware  of  each 
other's  presence  at  the  same  instant ;  both  uncon- 
sciously hesitated  to  advance,  and  then  both  came 
forward.  Stanley  was  the  first  to  speak. 

"  I  wasn't  aware  that  you  were  leaving,  Mr. 
Riddle." 

The  man  looked  at  him,  with  the  expression  of 
a  hunted  animal  driven  to  bay ;  a  fear  of  some- 
thing worse  than  death  in  his  eyes. 

"  How  could  you  think  I  should  do  otherwise, 
after  your  discoveries  of  last  night  ?  " 


380  Parlous  Times 

"  I  think  you're  making  a  mistake.  But  I 
shan't  try  to  prevent  you.  I've  no  fear  of  losing 
you  even  in  London.  I  could  lay  hands  on  you 
where  I  wished." 

"  My  journey  is  much  farther  afield  than 
London." 

"  There  are  extradition  laws." 

"  Not  where  I'm  going,"  he  said. 

A  shrill  whistle  smote  the  air,  and  the  porter 
came  hurrying  out  on  the  platform,  crying : — 

"  The  express,  gentlemen,  the  express !  Stand 
back,  please !  " 

Stanley  noticed  that  unconsciously  they  had 
drawn  rather  near  the  edge. 

"Look  out!"  he  said  to  Mr.  Riddle.  "The 
express  is  coming !  " 

"  In  a  moment,"  replied  that  gentleman.  "  I've 
just  dropped  my  cigar,"  and  indeed  it  was  lying 
at  his  feet. 

"  Hurry  up,  then,  the  train  is  on  us!  You've 
no  time  to  lose  ! " 

"  I've  time  enough,"  he  replied,  bending  delib- 
erately forward. 

Some  grim  note  in  his  voice  awoke  the  Secre- 
tary to  his  true  intentions.  There  was  only  a 
second's  leeway,  the  iron  monster  was  even  then 
bursting  out  of  the  railway  arch  at  the  further 
end  of  the  platform,  with  the  roar  and  rush  of 
tremendous  speed.  Mr.  Riddle  was  bending  far 
forward,  overreaching  his  cigar,  making  no  attempt 
to  get  it — was 

Stanley  flung   his  arms  about   his   adversary's 


The  Short  Way  Out  381 

waist,  and  made  a  superhuman  effort  to  drag  him 
back. 

"  You  meddling  fool,  let  me  alone  !  "  shouted 
the  other. 

"  No  !  "  panted  the  Secretary. 

"  Then  come  too  !  "  he  cried,  and  rising  up,  he 
threw  his  arms  about  him,  and  gathered  himself 
to  spring  on  to  the  rails  in  front  of  the  train.  All 
seemed  over,  the  cry  of  the  porter  rang  in  Stan- 
ley's ears,  the  rattle  of  the  train  deafened  him, 
the  hot  breath  of  the  engine  seemed  blowing  in 
his  face.  Then  somehow  his  foot  caught  his  op- 
ponent's, and  the  next  instant  they  were  falling — 
to  death  or  life — he  could  not  tell. 

A  second  later  the"y  lay  prone  on  the  platform. 
The  express  had  passed  them,  and  vanished  in  a 
cloud  of  dust. 

In  a  moment  the  porter  was  assisting  them  to 
arise. 

"  A  narrow  escape  for  Mr.  Riddle,"  said  the 
Secretary  to  the  porter,  as  he  picked  himself  up 
and  recovered  his  hat,  which  had  rolled  to  one 
side.  "  A  very  narrow  escape  from  what  might 
have  been  a  nasty  accident." 

"Accident !  "  exclaimed  the  porter,  with  a  sar- 
casm which  spoke  louder  than  words. 

"  I  said  accident,"  replied  Stanley,  slipping  a 
sovereign  into  the  man's  hand,  and  looking  him 
straight  in  the  eyes. 

"  Oh,  quite  right,  sir.  Accident  it  was.  Thank 
ye,  sir,"  and  the  porter  shuffled  off,  leaving  them 
alone. 


382  Parlous  Times 

"  I  suppose  you  think  you've  been  very  clever," 
said  Mr.  Riddle,  when  they  were  by  themselves, 
"  but  I'll  cheat  you  yet,  never  fear,"  and  his  hand 
unconsciously  sought  a  hidden  pocket. 

"  You  need  be  under  no  apprehensions,"  the  Sec- 
retary replied  calmly.  "  I  shan't  interfere  to  save 
your  life  again,  or  to  prevent  you  from  taking  it. 
I  was  moved  to  act  as  I  did  solely  for  the  reason 
that  I  couldn't  bear  to  see  any  man  throw  away 
so  priceless  a  possession,  owing  to  a  misappre- 
hension." 

"  A  misapprehension  !  "  he  said,  startled. 

"Yes.  You  were  desperate  enought  to  con- 
template committing  suicide,  because  you  sup- 
posed you  would  inevitably  be  disgraced  and 
punished." 

Riddle  nodded. 

"  Well,  supposing  that  this  were  not  the 
case  ?  " 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  he  cried,  his  face  light- 
ing up  with  the  return  of  hope. 

"  I  mean  that  it's  in  my  power  to  let  you  go 
free." 

The  man's  face  fell. 

"  But  there  are  conditions,"  he  said. 

"  There  are  no  conditions." 

"  How  about  the  Company  ?  " 

"  It  will  not  be  proceeded  against,  out  of  a 
desire  to  avoid  publicity.  Both  governments 
will  be  informed  confidentially  of  the  true  state 
of  affairs,  and  it  will  be  carefully  watched  in  the 
future.  If  the  Company  is  circumspect,  it  will  be 


The  Short  Way  Out  383 

safe.  We  merely  wish  to  ensure  the  passage  of 
the  Treaty.  That  is  done  already.  Of  course, 
considering  the  hands  to  which  you  have  con- 
fided it,  you  will  probably  lose  your  ^"40,000." 

"  I  should  refuse  to  receive  it  under  the  circum- 
stances." 

"  So  I  supposed.  I'm  expecting  a  messenger 
with  important  instructions  from  London,  so 
must  await  the  arrival  of  the  down  train.  If 
you'll  take  a  seat  in  the  dog-cart,  I'll  join  you 
presently." 

Mr.  Riddle  bowed,  took  a  few  steps  in  the 
direction  desired,  and  then  pausing,  swung  round 
and  faced  the  Secretary,  saying : — 

"  What  return  can  I  make  you  for  saving  my 
life?" 

"  I've  only  followed  my  instructions,"  he  re- 
plied. "  You  owe  me  nothing.  I  admit,  though, 
that  my  impulse  to  save  you  arose  strongly  from 
the  fact  that  I  believed  you  were  fitted  for  better 
things." 

"  I  am,  Mr.  Stanley,  I  am.  Believe  me,  with 
this  exception,  I've  lived  a  clean  life.  I  was 
swept  into  this  thing  by  the  force  of  circum- 
stances, and  in  the  hope  of  saving  a  rotten  con- 
cern, whose  downfall  might  have  ruined  hundreds 
of  innocent  persons." 

"  I  believe  you,"  said  the  Secretary.  "  Here 
comes  the  train.  I  shall  expect  to  find  you  in 
the  dog-cart." 


CHAPTER    XXXVI 

THE    DAY   OF    RECKONING 

STANLEY  sat  in  his  room.  Before  him  lay  an 
open  letter  ;  below  in  the  hall,  John  and  the  Colo- 
nel sat  waiting  his  call.  The  faithful  Legation 
messenger  being  well  informed  that  once  Darcy 
was  closeted  with  his  master,  he  was  to  receive 
the  precious  letter  of  evidence  from  Kent-Lau- 
riston,  and  return  with  all  speed  to  London. 

But  first  the  Secretary  wished  to  read  and  re- 
read his  Chief's  instructions.  It  was  a  clear, 
concise  document,  occupying  only  two  sheets  of 
note-paper.  Not  a  word  wasted,  yet  all  necessary 
information  given,  it  ran  as  follows : — 

"  Your  satisfactory  message  received  and  tel- 
egraphed to  the  Executive  in  cipher,  without 
delay.  I  may  inform  you  that  it  is  not  the 
intention  of  the  government  to  prosecute,  if 
the  case  presented  is  sufficiently  strong  to  war- 
rant submission  from  the  recalcitrant  members 
of  the  cabinet.  I  leave  it  to  your  discretion  to 
arrest  Darcy.  Do  not  do  so  if  you  can  obtain 
his  confession  without  it.  We  do  not  wish  to 
proceed  against  the  agents,  but  against  the  prin- 
384 


The  Day  of  Reckoning  385 

cipals.     We  will  do  so,  however,  if  you  advise. 
The  points  we  must  prove  are  as  follows  : — 

"  1st.  Evidence  of  the  names  of  members  of 
the  cabinet  who  are  to  receive  bribes. 

"  2d.  Evidence  of  the  amounts  to  be  received. 

"  3d.  Evidence  relating  to  the  Company  of- 
fering the  bribes. 

"  Send  proofs  by  John,  at  once,  and  report  to 
me  as  soon  as  possible. 

"  As  ever, 

«  X " 

On  a  separate  sheet  of  paper  was  the  fol- 
lowing : — 

"  Private  a.      Confidential. 

"  I  have,  in  the  foregoing,  written  you  a  letter 
which  you  might  show,  if  necessary,  to  any  of 
the  principals  in  this  affair,  should  such  a  course 
seem  advisable.  If  you  obtain  possession  of  the 
money,  in  round  numbers  ^40,000,  use  it  as  your 
discretion  suggests.  We  do  not  care  to  handle 
it  officially.  You  may  find  it  useful  in  obtain- 
ing evidence. 

"  I  have  also  to  inform  you  that  your  most 
satisfactory  conduct  in  this  affair  will  certainly 
gain  you  immediate  promotion,  though  it  seems 
desirable  that  you  should  return  home  first,  and 
almost  at  once,  in  the  capacity  of  witness,  if  you 
are  needed. 

"  Entre  nous,  I  have  received  a  cable  from  Seftor 
De  Costa,  requesting  me  to  send  his  daughter, 
Madame  Darcy,  home,  as  soon  as  suitable  escort 
25 


386  Parlous  Times 

can  be  provided.  I  have  replied,  nominating 
you  for  the  post,  an  office  which,  I  imagine,  you 
will  not  find  irksome.  Make  this  known  to 
Madame  Darcy,  if  she  is  still  in  Sussex,  and  use 
your  discretion  in  this  matter  as  in  all  other 
things.  Do  not  act  hastily  in  anything.  You 
have  a  great  responsibility  for  one  so  young,  but 
I  am  confident  you  will  discharge  it  to  my 
satisfaction. 

"Cordially, 

"  X " 

Stanley  sat  idly  for  a  few  minutes,  fingering  the 
papers  before  him.  He  might  seem  to  be  wasting 
valuable  time ;  as  a  matter  of  fact  he  was  very 
hard  at  work. 

Finally  he  arose,  and,  with  an  air  of  quick 
decision,  as  of  one  who  had  made  up  his  mind,  he 
stepped  to  the  opposite  wall,  and  touched  the 
bell.  A  moment  later  there  came  a  heavy  step 
on  the  stairs,  a  knock,  and  without  waiting  for  an 
answer,  Colonel  Darcy  entered  the  room,  threw 
himself  into  the  most  comfortable  chair,  and  scru- 
tinised keenly  the  little  bundle  of  papers,  which 
the  Secretary  was  in  the  act  of  putting  into  an 
inside  pocket. 

Stanley  noticed  the  glance,  and  replied  to  the 
unspoken  question,  by  saying  abruptly  : — 

"  It  may  facilitate  matters  between  us,  if  I  tell 
you  that  the  evidence  is  no  longer  in  my  pos- 
session. It  has  been  sent  to  the  Legation." 

The  Colonel  nodded. 


The  Day  of  Reckoning  387 

"  I  should  prefer  this  to  be  a  purely  business 
interview,"  continued  the  young  diplomat,  "  and 
to  that  end  I  will  state  my  case  and  my  conditions, 
after  which  you  can  make  any  answers  or  com- 
ments you  think  best." 

Another  nod  from  his  companion  was  the  only 
answer  he  received,  so  he  accordingly  proceeded. 

"  The  Executive  of  my  government  received, 
some  time  ago,  information  of  a  plot  to  defeat  a 
treaty,  now  pending  with  Great  Britain.  The 
subject  of  this  treaty  was  an  island  and  sandbar, 

lying  at  the  mouth  of  the river,  on  which  the 

Company  have  erected  large  mills  for  the 

manufacture  of  a  staple  product  of  my  country. 
As  long  as  we  held  the  island,  they  secured  by 
government  contracts  a  practical  monopoly  of  the 
article  in  question  ;  by  the  cession  of  it  to  Great 
Britain  their  business  would  be  much  impaired. 
Do  I  state  the  case  clearly  ?  " 

"  I've  never  heard  it  put  better,"  replied  the 
Colonel,  with  a  calmness  that  was  admirable. 

"  Very  well — we'll  now  proceed  to  the  next 
point.  The  firm  considered  that  my  govern- 
ment's grants  were  worth  to  them,  the  round  sum 
of  two  hundred  thousand  dollars,  or  forty  thousand 
pounds." 

"  In  gold,  sovereigns,"  acquiesced  Darcy. 

"  Yes,  I've  one  of  them  in  my  possession." 

The  Colonel  nodded  as  usual.  He  evidently 
felt  it  idle  to  waste  words  in  the  face  of  such  in- 
controvertible evidence. 

"  This  amount  was  to  be  divided  among   a 


388  Parlous  Times 

majority  of  the  committee,  who  would  pass  on 
the  treaty,  thus  insuring  its  defeat.  The  names 
of  the  members  who  would  receive  bribes,  and 
the  amount  to  be  given  to  each,  being  arranged 
beforehand — by  you." 

Darcy's  face  was  immovable. 

"  I  said  "by  you" 

"  I  heard  you." 

"  You've  nothing  to  say  ?  " 

"  The  accused,"  said  the  Colonel,  "  is  never 
required  to  convict  himself." 

"  You're  quite  within  your  rights ;  we'll  let  it 
pass.  I  make  the  statement ;  you  neither  affirm 
or  deny  it." 

"  Go  on,"  said  Darcy. 

"  You  then  come  to  Sussex  to  receive  the  funds 
from  Mr.  Riddle,  the  most  important  share- 
holder." 

"  You're  mistaken.  Miss  Fitzgerald  received 
the  money  from  Mr.  Riddle,"  remarked  the 
Colonel. 

"  You  say  nothing  of  your  part  in  the  transac- 
tion," commented  the  Secretary,  sternly. 

"  I  thought  you  wanted  the  truth  of  the 
matter." 

"  I  do— go  on." 

"When  the  Company  found,  thanks  to  your 
conversation  with,  and  infatuation  for,  Miss  Fitz- 
gerald, that  you  had  in  all  probability  been  set  to 
spy  upon  us,  it  was  deemed  better  that  I  should 
play  a  subordinate  part,"  continued  Darcy.  ''Ac- 
cordingly she  was  selected  to  do  all  the  dirty 


The  Day  of  Reckoning  389 

work  in  this  country — collect  the  money  and 
forward  it  to  London." 

"  What  part  did  Kingsland  play  ?  " 

"None  whatever,  except  that  of  carrier.  I 
sounded  him  some  weeks  ago,  and  found  him  too 
loose-tongued  for  our  purposes.  It  was  Belle's 
scheme  to  let  him  take  the  treasure  to  town,  and 
he  actually  believed  the  cock-and-bull  story  she 
told  him  about  the  stereopticon  slides." 

"  As  soon  as  you  recovered  your  lost  letter  of 
instructions,  you  intended  to  go  to  London,  draw 
out  the  forty  thousand  pounds,  embark  for  my 
country,  and  distribute  the  bribes,"  resumed  Stan- 
ley, "but,  unfortunately  for  you,  your  plans  are 
upset  entirely.  I  have  in  my  possession  not  only 
your  letter  of  instructions,  but  also  the  name  of 
the  bank  in  which  the  money  now  lies,  and  where 
it  can  be  detained  at  my  orders." 

At  this  point  the  Colonel's  reserve  entirely 
broke  down. 

"  You  hold  all  the  trumps,  damn  you ! "  he 
cried.  "  Give  me  your  terms  and  conditions." 

"  It's  not  the  intention  of  my  government  to 
prosecute  the  corrupt  members  of  the  cabinet  for 
a  variety  of  reasons,  which,  even  with  your  views 
on  the  subject  of  honour,  you'll  undoubtedly 
approve." 

Darcy  flushed,  but  said  nothing. 

"  In  the  first  place,"  continued  the  Secretary, 
"  the  Executive  has  no  desire  to  wash  the  gov- 
ernment's dirty  linen  in  public,  and  the  story  is 
not  so  creditable  that  it  should  be  spread  abroad. 


3Qo  Parlous  Times 

All  that  is  needed  is  to  insure  the  passage  of  the 
treaty ;  and  it  is  thought,  and  thought  rightly, 
that  a  warning  to  the  opposition,  if  the  true 
facts  are  known,  and  can  be  proved  if  necessary, 
would  be  quite  sufficient  to  remove  their  obstruc- 
tion. Of  course,  the  more  overwhelming  the 
proof,  the  more  potent  the  warning ;  and,  while 
it's  not  necessary,  understand  that,  I  should  prefer 
your  signed  confession  to  round  out  my  case." 

"  What  do  you  offer  in  return  ?  " 

"  Immunity  from  prosecution." 

"Is  that  all?" 

"All!  Colonel  Darcy,  I'd  have  you  to  know 
that  it's  left  entirely  to  my  discretion  how  to 
proceed  against  you.  I  have  it  in  my  power  to 
order  your  arrest,  with  a  certain  term  of  imprison- 
ment at  hard  labour." 

"  Would  my  evidence  be  used  publicly  ?  " 

"  I  think  I  can  assure  against  that  in  any  case." 

"  What  assurance  have  I  that  your  government 
will  play  me  fair  if  I  turn  state's  evidence  ?  " 

Stanley  thought  a  moment,  and  then  handed 
him  the  Minister's  open  letter. 

The  Colonel  perused  it,  nodded  quietly,  and 
said : — 

"  It  will  do.  I  accept  the  terms.  Damn  it,  I 
can't  do  otherwise  !  Give  me  pen,  ink,  and  paper. 
What  do  you  want  me  to  write  ?  " 

"  In  substance  what  I've  said  to  you." 

"  Very  well." 

"  Kindly  leave  out  all  reference,  by  name,  to 
Lieutenant  Kingsland  and  Miss  Fitzgerald." 


The  Day  of  Reckoning  391 

"  Ha !  I  suppose  you  still  think  she's  an 
angel." 

"  I  know  she  is  a  woman,  Colonel  Darcy." 

For  some  time  there  was  no  sound  in  the  room 
but  the  scratching  of  pen  to  paper.  At  length, 
however,  the  Colonel  raised  his  head  from  his 
work,  and,  pushing  it  towards  the  Secretary,  said 
laconically  : — 

"Will  it  do?" 

"  Quite,"  replied  Stanley,  after  perusing  it. 
"  Will  you  sign  it,  please  ?  Thanks,  I'll  witness." 

"  There,"  said  the  Colonel,  rising.  "  That 
closes  our  interview." 

"  Not  quite  yet,  Colonel.  I've  still  an  advan- 
tageous offer  to  make  to  you,  in  reward  for  some 
further  concessions  of  a  different  character.  The 
case  for  the  government  is  closed.  Our  private 
affairs  yet  remain  to  be  settled." 

"  By  Gad  !     You're  right   there !     They  do  !  " 

"  There  is  that  little  trifle  of  the  forty  thou- 
sand pounds.  Suppose  I  was  to  give  you  that 
amount." 

"  What ! ! ! "  exclaimed  his  hearer,  petrified  with 
astonishment.  "  You  mean  to  say  that  you  will 
give  it  to  me  ?  " 

"  Never,  Colonel,  never !  I  shall  go  to  the 
Victoria  Street  Branch  of  the  Bank  of  England  in 
London,  say  the  day  after  to-morrow,  to  warn 
them  about  the  money.  If  you  draw  it  out  be- 
fore that  time,  why,  it's  my  misfortune.  I'll  be 
perfectly  frank  with  you,  Colonel  Darcy.  My 
government  doesn't  want  the  handling  of  this 


392  Parlous  Times 

coin,  its  disposal  is  left  to  me.  You  see  it's  for 
everybody's  interest  to  lose  this  large  sum.  When 
the  cabinet  knows  that  the  truth  has  been  dis- 
covered— they  know  it  now,  by  the  way — it  was 
cabled  in  cipher — there's  not  one  of  them  vrho 
would  touch  a  penny  of  it.  The  company  can't 
receive  it  without  giving  a  receipt,  which  might 
prove  damaging  evidence ;  while  neither  govern- 
ment can  take  it  without  becoming  a  party  to  the 
transaction.  I'm  willing  to  give  it  to  you,  if  you'll 
do  two  things  in  return.  Two  disagreeable  things, 
I  admit,  to  a  conscientious  man ;  but  they're  each 
worth  twenty  thousand  pounds." 

"  I'd  sell  my  soul  for  that !  "  said  he  with  a  laugh. 

"  My  dear  Colonel,  are  you  sure  you  have  it  to 
sell?" 

"  What  are  the  conditions?  " 

"  First,  that  you  consent  to  a  divorce  from 
Madame  Darcy." 

"  Humph  !  That's  a  nice  thing  to  ask  a  man. 
Moreover,  it's  not  worth  anything.  In  fact  it's  a 
clear  loss.  My  wife's  property,  of  which  I  have 
the  use,  is  worth  far  more  than  that." 

"  But  you  don't  have  the  use  of  it,  Colonel." 

"  Well,  I  should  have  to  pay  alimony — then." 

"  I'll  guarantee  you  against  that.  Moreover, 
she'd  get  her  divorce  in  any  event,  and  then 
you'd  have  nothing." 

"  You're  quite  right.  A  pretty  woman,  who 
knows  how  to  have  hysterics,  can  get  anything  in 
a  court  of  law.  My  wife's  an  expert  in  the  latter 
accomplishment,  and  she's  good-looking  enough 


The  Day  of  Reckoning  393 

to  corrupt  any  jury  that  was  ever  empanelled.  I 
give  in,  it's  no  use  playing  a  losing  game.  Now 
for  the  second." 

"  The  second  is  purely  confidential." 

"  Go  on." 

"  I'd  like  to  know  exactly  what  you  and  Miss 
Fitzgerald  expected  to  receive  for  this  transaction, 
and  whether  these  letters,"  producing  the  ones 
Madame  Darcy  had  given  him,  "  do  not  relate 
solely  to  it  ?  " 

Darcy  laughed. 

"You're  paying  rather  a  high  price  for  that 
young  lady's  character,"  he  said. 

"  A  woman's  character  should  be  above  any 
price,  Colonel  Darcy.  We  seem  to  have  differing 
standards  of  value,  which  does  not,  however,  alter 
the  main  question  of  whether  you  will  accede  to 
my  conditions." 

"  Certainly  I  will,  and  permit  me  to  tell  you 
that  you're  paying  more  than  either  of  them  is 
worth." 

"  That  is  for  me  to  decide." 

"  Quite  so.  Now  how  do  you  wish  me  to  aid  in 
my  wife's  divorce  ?  " 

"  A  statement  signed  by  you,  to  the  effect  that 
you  would  not  contest  a  suit  for  divorce — say  on 
the  grounds  of  incompatibility  of  temper,  coupled 
by  your  promise  of  non-interference,  would  be 
sufficient.  As  Madame  Darcy  is  not  a  Catholic, 
and  her  father  is  a  power  in  his  own  country,  she 
would  have  no  trouble,  legal  or  religious,  in  using 
such  evidence." 


394  Parlous  Times 

"  Oh,  is  that  all  ?  "  said  the  Colonel,  manifestly 
relieved.  "  I  supposed  you  wanted  statutory 
grounds." 

"  I  wish  to  save  your  wife  as  much  pain  and  an- 
noyance as  possible,  and  it  would  be  well  if  you 
felt  the  same." 

"  Oh  !  "  exclaimed  Darcy.  "  So  that's  the  way 
the  land  lies,  is  it  ?  A  very  interesting  way  for  a 
young  man  who  is  in  love  with  one  of  the  women, 
and  engaged  to  the  other." 

"  You'll  please  attend  to  business,  and  not  dis- 
cuss my  affairs,"  broke  in  the  Secretary,  sharply. 

"  Quite  right,  quite  right ;  pardon  me — there, 
it's  only  a  few  lines,  but  I  think  it  will  give  my 
wife  her  freedom  when  she  requires  it,"  and  he 
handed  him  a  paper,  adding  : — "  Now  let  me  go." 

"  Two  things  you've  forgotten,"  said  Stanley. 
"  Your  promise  not  to  appear  against  your  wife  in 
her  suit  for  divorce " 

"  That's  understood  !  " 

"  Do  you  give  it?" 

"  Yes.  I  promise  not  to  appear  against  my  wife 
in  her  suit  for  divorce,  or  in  any  way  to  impede 
its  progress.  Does  that  satisfy  you  ?  You'll  find 
I'm  a  man  of  my  word,  Mr.  Stanley,  when  I'm  as 
well  paid  for  it,  as  in  the  present  case." 

"  Now  what  did  you  expect  to  receive  from  this 
transaction  ?  " 

"  Ten  per  cent,  on  the  amount  distributed — say 
four  thousand  pounds." 

"  I  see.  And  what  did  you  propose  to  give  to 
Miss  Fitzgerald  ?  " 


The  Day  of  Reckoning  395 

"  I  said  I'd  share  it  with  her." 

"  That  is,  you'd  each  have  two  thousand 
pounds." 

"  Exactly — but  she's  such  a  mercenary,  avari- 
cious little  baggage,  she  struck  for  more ;  said  she 
had  the  most  dangerous  part  to  perform,  and  by 
Gad  !  they  allotted  her  three-fourths." 

"  Three  thousand  pounds.  Quite  a  neat  little 
sum." 

"  Rather  !  I  was  only  to  receive  one  thousand 
pounds." 

"  Now  about  those  letters?  " 

Darcy  looked  them  over  hurriedly,  and  re- 
marked : — 

"  Purely  commercial." 

"  So  I  supposed.  But  how  do  you  explain  that 
sentence  in  your  letter,  in  which  you  refer  to  there 
being  a  happy  future  for  both  of  you  ?  " 

The  Colonel  thrust  his  hands  in  his  pockets,  and 
looked  the  Secretary  squarely  in  the  face. 

"  See  here,  Stanley,"  he  said.  "  I'm  not  alto- 
gether a  cad,  and  I'll  be  damned  if  I  explain  any 
more." 

The  Secretary  flushed,  and  there  was  an  awk- 
ward silence,  which  he  broke  by  speaking  nerv- 
ously. 

"  That's  all,  I  think,"  he  continued,  "  except 
— I  suppose  you'll  have  no  trouble  in  getting  the 
money?" 

Darcy  laughed. 

"  Give  me  twenty-four  hours,"  he  said. 

The  Secretary  nodded. 


396  Parlous  Times 

"  Well,  I  must  be  going,"  remarked  the  Colonel 
regretfully,  as  if  he  was  just  bringing  to  a  close  a 
protracted,  but  delightful,  interview.  "You've 
paid  a  high  price  for  rather  indifferent  goods, 
young  man,  and  to  show  you  that  I'm  dealing 
fair,  I'll  throw  in  a  bit  of  advice.  Drop  our  Irish 
friend  as  soon  as  you  know  how.  Take  my  word 
for  it,  she's  a  thoroughly  bad  lot.  I  don't  care 
what  you're  worth,  she'd  run  through  it  in  five 
years,  and  then " 

"  Don't  say  it ! "  commanded  the  Secretary. 

"As  you  like,  it's  the  truth.  The  money  will 
be  in  the  Victoria  Street  Branch  of  the  Bank  of 
England  till  day  after  to-morrow  ?  Yes.  Thank 
you,  Mr.  Stanley.  Trust  you're  satisfied.  I  am. 
Good  day." 

The  door  closed.     He  was  gone. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII 

THE  PRICE   OF  KNOWLEDGE 

"  I  CAN  never  thank  you  sufficiently  for  all 
you've  done,  old  man,"  said  Stanley  to  Kent- 
Lauriston,  as  the  latter  stood  beside  him,  a  few 
moments  later. 

"  Which  means,"  said  his  friend,  "  that  you  are 
going  to  ask  me  to  do  you  another  favour." 

"  How  well  you  understand  human  nature,"  re- 
plied the  Secretary,  smiling  sadly.  "Yes,  it's 
quite  true ;  I  want  you  to  go  to — her — you  un- 
derstand, for  me.  I  meant  to  go  myself,  but  after 
what  Darcy  has  told  me,  it's  impossible." 

"  It's  infinitely  better  to  leave  the  affair  in  my 
hands.  It  will  be  easier  for  both  of  you." 

"  I'm  sure  of  it.  You  once  said  to  me,  you  may 
remember,  that  it  required  more  skill  to  break 
than  to  make  an  engagement,  and  I'm  certain  that 
you'd  do  this  with  great  tact,  and  that  I  should 
blunder.  You'll  make  it  as  easy  for  her  as  you 
can,  I  know — perhaps  she'll  save  you  any  awk- 
wardness by  breaking  it  off  herself.  From  what 
she  said  yesterday,  I  should  think  it  possible." 

"  I  trust  so." 

"  Here  are  her  letters  to  me — you'll  take  them 
back." 

397 


398  Parlous  Times 

"  I  will.     Do  you  feel  sure  of  yourself? " 

"  You  need  have  no  fears  on  that  account.  I 
think  Madame  Darcy  was  right  when  she  told 
me  once  that  she  was  certain  that  I'd  never 
ioved." 

"What  reason  did  she  give  for  that  state- 
ment?" 

"  Reason — that's  just  it,  she  said  I'd  reasoned 
about  my  love,  therefore  it  couldn't  be  real." 

"  Madame  Darcy  is  a  very  clever  woman." 

"  And  a  very  charming  one." 

"  I  fully  agree  with  you,  but  of  course  she  has 
her  drawbacks." 

"  You  think  so  ?  " 

"  Her  present  position  is,  to  say  the  least, 
equivocal ;  and  as  a  divorcee " 

"  Oh,  come,  Kent-Lauriston,  can't  you  let  any- 
one alone  ?  I  never  think  of  those  things  in  con- 
nection with  her.  She's  just  Madame  Darcy — 
that's  all.  She  forms  her  own  environment ;  one 
is  so  completely  dominated  by  her  presence,  that 
other  circumstances  connected  with  her  don't  oc- 
cur to  one." 

"  In  other  words,  you  do  not  reason." 

"  Kent-Lauriston !  " 

"  There,  I  won't  say  it — only  you  admit  that 
so  far  I've  known  you  better  than  you've  known 
yourself. — Yes  ? — Well,  do  not  forget  what  I  once 
told  you  before.  You  can  never  love  a  woman 
whom  you  cannot  respect,  and  no  woman  who 
respects  herself  would  permit  even  a  hint  of  a  man's 
affections  until  she  was  free  to  receive  them. 


The  Price  of  Knowledge          399 

Any  such  premature  attempt  would  be  fatal  to  his 
suit." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Stanley,  "  I  won't  forget ; " 
and  then,  with  a  touch  of  his  old  humour,  which 
the  responsibilities  of  the  last  few  days  had  nearly 
crushed  out,  he  added:  "You're  not  going  to  try 
to  save  me  again  ?  " 

"  No,  thank  you,  one  experience  of  that  sort 
has  been  quite  enough,"  replied  Kent-Lauriston, 
laughing. 

"  Now  about  this  present  matter,"  continued 
the  Secretary.  "  I  don't  want  you  to  think  me 
callous  or  shallow,  because  I  don't  appear  all 
broken  up  ;  it  has  hit  me  very  hard.  I  admit  I  was 
a  fool,  that  I  took  for  real  passion  a  sort  of  senti- 
mentalism  born  of  pity  ;  but,  nevertheless,  I  was 
honest  in  my  self-deception,  and  I  assure  you, 
even  though  you  may  laugh  at  me,  that  could  I 
restore  her  to  the  innocent  girl  I  believed  her  to 
be  a  few  days  ago ;  could  I  even  be  assured  that 
she'd  join  this  conspiracy  to  help  a  friend,  and  not 
as  a  cold-blooded  speculation  ;  I'd  gladly  marry  her 
with  all  her  faults,  and  give  up  my  life  to  leading 
her  into  better  paths." 

"  I  do  not  laugh  at  you,  my  boy,"  said  Kent- 
Lauriston.  "  I  respect  you  for  it,  I  believe  you, 
too ;  but,  as  I  said  in  our  first  interview  on  this 
subject,  you're  too  good  for  her ;  and  she  has 
underrated  what  she  is  not  fitted  to  understand." 

"  There,  go  now,"  said  the  Secretary.  "  If  I 
talk  of  this  any  more,  I  shall  be  unnerved,  and  I've 
need  of  all  my  self-control  to-day.  Go  and  do 


4oo  Parlous  Times 

the  best  you  can.  Be  gentle  and  tender  for  my 
sake.  I  suppose  I  ought  to  face  the  matter  my- 
self, but  I  can't  bear  to.  I  simply  can't  look  her 

in  the  face — now  I  know "  and  he  bent  his 

head,  choking  back  a  sob. 

His  friend  pressed  his  hand  silently,  and  left  the 
room. 

"  Just  one  moment,  if  you  please,  Colonel 
Darcy,"  Kent-Lauriston  had  said,  overtaking  that 
officer  as  he  was  crossing  the  park,  about  an  hour 
after  his  interview  with  Stanley. 

"  I  can't  stop  just  now,  I'm  in  a  hurry." 

"  Oh,  yes,  you  can — you  can  spare  me  a  min- 
ute— a  minute  for  an  old  acquaintance,  who  knew 
you  when  you  were  only  a  Lieutenant,  like  our 
friend  Kingsland  ;  a  Lieutenant  in  Derbyshire, 

who  had  aspirations  for  the  hand  of  Lord 's 

daughter." 

"  Which  you  frustrated,  damn  you  !  I  haven't 
forgotten." 

"  Or  the  evidence  which  led  to  such  an  unfortu- 
nate result  ?  Affairs  of  that  sort  are  not  outlawed 
by  the  lapse  of  years  ;  you  understand  ?  " 

"  What  do  you  want  of  me  ?  Speak !  My 
time  is  of  value." 

"  Yes,  I  know — about  forty  thousand  pounds." 

"  Humph  !  Go  on,  will  you.  I'll  tell  you  what 
you  want,  only  be  quick  about  it." 

"  I  merely  want  to  know  the  exact  and  real  truth 
of  Miss  Fitzgerald's  connection  with  this  bribery 
and  corruption  business." 


The  Price  of  Knowledge          401 

"  I  told  your  friend,  the  Secretary." 

"  I  know  what  you  told  him,  he's  just  retailed 
it  to  me  ;  but  you  will  pardon  me,  if  I  state  that, 
as  an  observer  of  human  nature,  I  don't  believe  it." 

"  I've  said  what  I've  said,"  replied  the  Colonel, 
surlily. 

"  Let  us  see  if  we  can't  arrive  at  a  mutual  under- 
standing," continued  Kent-Lauriston,  suavely. 
"  You  wish  to  injure  the  girl  and  make  her  mar- 
riage with  my  friend  impossible,  because  you 
think  she's  betrayed  you.  I  wish  to  render  the 
marriage  impossible,  because  I  don't  care  to  see 
this  young  man  make  a  fool  of  himself  by  mar- 
rying a  girl  who's  after  his  money,  and  who  has 
nothing  to  offer  in  return.  Our  ends  are  identical, 
our  motives  only  are  different.  Do  you  follow 
me?" 

The  Colonel  nodded. 

"  Now,"  resumed  Kent-Lauriston,  "  you've  told 
a  very  clever  circumstantial  story,  which  has  ruined 
her  in  Stanley's  eyes,  and  has  stopped  the  match, 
as  we  both  wished.  Its  only  flaw  lies  in  the  fact 
that  it  is  not  true.  If  he  finds  this  out,  he'll  marry 
her  in  spite  of  us ;  but  he  is  much  less  likely  to 
find  it  out  if  I  know  the  real  state  of  the  case,  and, 
as  a  corollary,  the  weak  points  of  your  narrative, 
and  so  am  able  to  prevent  the  discovery.  Do  you 
believe  me  ?  " 

"  I  never  knew  you  to  tell  a  lie — it's  not  in  your 
line." 

"  Quite   so.     Therefore,  will   you   tell   me  the 

truth  ?  " 
26 


4O2  Parlous  Times 

"  The  truth,  then,  is  that  Belle  didn't  instigate 
the  plot.  I  got  her  out  of  a  scrape  some  years 
ago,  and  she  was  grateful,  and  lent  me  a  hand 
with  this,  purely  out  of  friendship.  She  doesn't 
expect  to  get  a  penny  in  reward.  It  was  her  idea, 
however,  of  using  Kingsland  to  forward  the 
stuff." 

"  Kingsland  knew  nothing  about  it?" 

"  Nothing  at  all.  He  thought  the  chests  con- 
tained stereopticon  slides." 

"  That's  the  real  truth  then  ?  " 

"  Yes,  but  if  you  blow  it  to  Stanley,  I'll  tell 
him  your  share  in  this  little  arrangement." 

Kent-Lauriston  looked  at  him,  coldly.  "  You 
said  you  were  in  a  hurry,  Colonel  Darcy,"  he  re- 
marked. "  Don't  let  me  detain  you." 


"  I  consider  it  providential,"  said  the  Mar- 
chioness. 

Mrs.  Roberts  said  nothing.  It  was  this  trait 
that  rendered  her  so  admirable  as  a  hostess  and  a 
friend. 

"  Of  course,"  continued  her  Ladyship,  "  I  had 
long  known  that  there  was  some  sentiment  be- 
tween my  dear  Isabelle  and  Lieutenant  Kingsland, 
and  if  I  had  supposed  there  was  anything  serious, 
they  would  at  once  have  had  my  blessing,  and 
— er — a  wedding  in  St.  George's,  and — everything 
that  religion  requires.  Their  secret  marriage  was 
childish  and  ridiculous — because  it  was  not  op- 
posed." 


The  Price  of  Knowledge          403 

Mrs.  Roberts  still  held  her  peace. 

"  I  say,"  continued  the  Dowager,  "  that  it  was 
not  opposed  ;  of  course  Mr.  Stanley " 

"  Ah,"  said  her  hostess,  seeing  that  she  was 
expected  to  intervene  :  "  Mr.  Stanley — what  of 
him?" 

"  Well,  you  see,  my  dear  Mrs.  Roberts,  he's  a 
most  excellent  young  man  ;  but  he  comes  from  a 
Catholic  country — and — er — the  influence  is  so 
insidious,  that,  on  consideration,  I  didn't  really 
feel — that  my  duty  as  a  mother  would  permit  me 
to  countenance  the  match  further." 

Mrs.  Roberts  said  nothing,  she  had  been  ill-used 
in  this  particular,  she  felt,  and  withheld  her  sym- 
pathy accordingly. 

The  Dowager  appreciated  the  position,  and 
acted  promptly. 

"Your  dear  niece,  Miss  Fitzgerald,  such  a 
charming  girl,"  she  continued,  "  doubtless  feels  as 
I  do.  Her  throwing  Stanley  over  unreservedly 
was  most  commendable,  and  reflected  much  credit 
on  your  influence,  dear  Mrs.  Roberts." 

Her  hostess  was  mollified,  and  showed  it.  The 
Dowager's  position  promised  to  turn  defeat  into 
triumph. 

"  You're  most  kind,  I'm  sure,"  she  murmured. 
"  Belle  was  naturally  guided  by  me,"  and  then 
changing  a  dangerous  subject,  she  continued,  "  It 
is  so  sad  that  Lieutenant  Kingsland's  honeymoon 
should  be  darkened  by  his  uncle's  death." 

Her  Ladyship  dried  an  imaginary  tear,  and 
added : — 


404  Parlous  Times 

"  If  one  believes  in  Providence,  one  must  of 
course  believe  that  these  things  are  for  the  best." 

"  Here  comes  the  Secretary,"  said  Mrs.  Roberts. 
"  Does  he  know  ?  " 

"  I  must  tell  him,"  replied  the  Dowager.  "  It's 
my  painful  duty." 

Mrs.  Roberts  precipitately  left  the  room. 

"  Dear  Mr.  Stanley,"  murmured  the  Dowager, 
"  I  was  just  on  the  point  of  sending  for  you  ; 
you've  come  most  opportunely.  I  feel  I  must 
speak  to  you  about  my  dear  daughter.  She  is  a 
sadly  wilful  girl,  and  I  fear " 

"  Don't  speak  of  it,  your  Ladyship.  I  know, 
that  is,  I've  heard ;  and  permit  me  to  offer  my  con- 
gratulations on  your  daughter's  recent  marriage 
to  Lieutenant  Kingsland,"  he  said,  throwing  into 
his  voice  what  he  trusted  might  pass  for  a  note  of 
resignation. 

"  Dear  Mr.  Stanley,"  said  the  Dowager,  infinitely 
relieved,  "  you  are  so  tactful,  so  generous " 

"  I  hope  she'll  be  happy." 

"  Oh  yes — yes — we  must  hope  so."  And  her 
Ladyship  sighed  deeply.  "  You,  of  course,  know 
what  I  wished  from  my  heart." 

"  I'm  going  away,"  he  said  abruptly,  "  this  after- 
noon in  fact.  I'm  assigned  on  a  diplomatic  service, 
which,  for  the  present,  may  take  me  out  of  Eng- 
land, so  you'll  make  my  adieux  to  Lady  Isabelle, 
will  you  not?  " 

"  I — er — trust  you  do  not  contemplate  doing 
anything — foolish  ?  " 

"  You  may  set  your  mind  at  rest  on  that  score." 


The  Price  of  Knowledge          405 

"  You  relieve  me  immensely — you'll  excuse  me 
if  I'm  too  frank.  I've  come  so  near  being  a — er — 
mother  to  you,  I  feel  a  peculiar  interest  in  your 
welfare.  May  I  venture  to  express  the  hope,  that 
you'll  not  commit  yourself  with  that  young  Irish 
person  ?  " 

"  Your  ladyship  may  feel  quite  easy — Miss  Fitz- 
gerald and  I  have  never  been  more  than  friends, 
and  in  the  future " 

"  Of  course  one  must  be  kind  ;  but  a  young  man 
cannot  be  too  careful.  I  assure  you  in  regard  to 
the  young  woman  in  question,  that  I  was  told  in 
strict  confidence — the  most  shocking " 

"  Pardon  me,"  he  interrupted,  "  but  I  couldn't 
think  of  violating  your  strict  confidence,"  and 
he  passed  by  her  out  of  the  room. 

"  That  young  man,"  said  the  Dowager,  in  sum- 
ming him  up  to  a  friend,  "  has  tact,  but  lacks  re- 
serve." 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII 

THE  PRICE  OF  LOVE 

"  HAVE  you  come  to  insult  me,  Mr.  Kent-Lau- 
riston?  " 

Isabelle  Fitzgerald  stood  in  a  wooded  recess  of 
the  park,  beside  a  young  sapling ;  the  one  no  more 
fair  and  tall  and  glorious  with  the  joy  of  living 
than  the  other.  Kent-Lauriston  was  beside  her, 
hat  in  hand,  with  just  the  trace  of  a  cynical  smile 
about  his  parted  lips  ;  but  serious  enough  with  it 
all,  well  realising  the  gravity  of  the  task  he  had 
undertaken,  and  pitying  from  his  heart  the  fair  girl 
who  stood  white  and  scornful  before  him,  her  gar- 
den hat  hanging  from  its  ribbon,  unconsciously 
held  in  her  hand. 

"  Have  you  come  to  insult  me,  Mr.  Kent-Lau- 
riston ?  "  She  said  it  defiantly,  as  if  it  were  a  gage 
of  battle. 

"  I  have  come  to  apologise  to  you,"  he  replied 
quietly. 

"  You  tell  me  that  he  has  sent  you  to  me.  Well, 
I  know  what  that  means.  I  knew  why  you  came 
to  the  Hall,  I  would  have  stopped  you  if  I  could. 
You  were  my  enemy,  I  felt  it  the  moment  I  saw 
you.  I  knew  you  would  have  your  way  then. 

What  chance  had  an  unfortunate  girl,  whose  only 
406 


The  Price  of  Love  407 

hope  rested  in  the  love  of  the  man  she  loved,  as 
against  one  who  has  made  hundreds  of  matches, 
and  broken  hundreds  of  hearts  ?  You  owe  me  an 
apology  you  think — it  is  very  good  of  you,  I  ap- 
preciate it  deeply,"  and  she  made  him  an  obei- 
sance. 

"  I've  not  come  to  apologise  to  you  for  any 
point  that  I've  gained,  but  for  the  means  I  must 
employ  to  gain  it." 

"  Really,"  she  said,  her  eyes  blazing.  "This  is  a. 
condescension.  Are  not  any  means  good  enough 
to  cope  with  an  adventuress  like  myself — a  young 
woman  who  is  deterred  by  no  conventions,  and  no 
maidenly  reserve ;  whose  every  art  and  wile  is 
strained  to  lure  on  to  their  fate  weak  and  unsus- 
pecting young  men.  Is  it  possible  that  such  a 
person  has  any  rights  that  need  be  respected  ?  " 

"  Really,  Miss  Fitzgerald,"  said  Kent-Lauriston, 
placidly,  "  you  surprise  me,  In  addition  to  the 
numerous  virtues,  which  I'm  confident  you  pos- 
sess, I'd  added  in  my  own  mind  that  paramount 
one,  of  cool  clear-headedness.  This  lady,  I  had 
told  myself,  is  at  all  events  perfectly  free  from 
hysteria  or  nervous  affections  ;  she  can  discuss  an 
unpleasant  subject,  if  necessary,  in  its  practical 
bearings,  without  flying  into  a  fit  of  rage,  and 
wandering  hopelessly  from  the  point.  It  appears 
that  I  was  mistaken." 

"  No,"  she  replied  brusquely,  "  you  are  not  ; 
You've  summed  up  my  character  very  well,  but 
you  must  remember  that  you've  nothing  to  gain 
or  lose  in  this  matter.  You're  merely  playing  the 


408  Parlous  Times 

game — directing  the  moves  of  the  pawns.  The 
problem  is  interesting,  amusing,  if  you  like,  but 
whether  you  win  or  lose,  you've  nothing  wa- 
gered on  the  result.  But  the  pawn  !  Its  very  exist- 
ence is  at  stake — a  false  move  is  made,  and  it 
disappears  from  the  board." 

"  Quite  true  !  But  the  pawn  has  a  better  chance 
of  life,  if  the  moves  are  considered  calmly,  than  if 
played  at  random ;  it  is  then  inevitably  lost." 

"  You're  right,"  she  said,  seating  herself  on  a 
grassy  bank  near  by  :  "  perfectly  right.  Let  us  talk 
this  matter  over  calmly.  I  shan't  forget  myself 
again." 

He  seated  himself  beside  her. 

"  Now  frankly,"  she  continued,  "  before  you 
saw  me,  or  spoke  to  me,  you'd  made  up  your  mind 
to  save  your  friend  from  my  clutches,  had  you 
not  ?  I  beg  your  pardon — doubtless,  you'd  disap- 
prove of  such  an  expression — we'll  say,  you  had 
determined  to  prevent  him  from  marrying  me." 

"  Frankly  speaking,  yes,  I  had." 

"  But  you  knew  nothing  about  me  ;  you  could 
know  nothing  about  me,  except  on  hearsay." 

"  Pardon  me — I  knew  your  late  father,  and  I 
was  at  Colonel  Belleston's,  when  you  ran  off  with 
his  heir-apparent,  and  were  not  found  till  half  the 
country-side  had  been  searched,  and  the  dinner 
quite  spoiled." 

"  But  Georgie  Belleston  was  only  eight,  and  I 
scarcely  twelve.  We  had  determined,  I  remember, 
to  join  a  circus — no,  he  wanted  to  fight  Indians; 
but  it  was  childish  nonsense." 


The  Price  of  Love  409 

"The  spirit  was  there,  nevertheless.  But  in 
the  present  case  I  was  considering  Mr.  Stanley,  I 
must  confess,  rather  than  yourself.  The  world, 
my  dear  young  lady,  is  an  open  market,  a  prosaic, 
mercantile  world." 

"  Don't  you  suppose  I  know  that  ?  " 

"  I'm  willing  to  believe  it  if  you  wish  me  to  do 
so.  It  will  help  us  to  understand  the  common- 
sense  proposition  that  marriageable  young  men, 
like  cabbages,  have  a  market  value,  and  that  a 
young  man  like  our  friend,  who  has  a  great  deal 
to  offer,  should — shall  I  be  perfectly  plain,  and 
say — should  expect  a  pretty  handsome  return  for 
himself." 

"  And  you  didn't  think  that  I'd  much  to  offer," 
she  said,  laughing.  "  In  other  words,  that  you'd 
be  selling  your  cabbages  very  cheap.  Eh  ?  " 

Kent-Lauriston  said  nothing,  but  she  saw  the 
impression  she  had  produced,  and  bit  her  lips  in 
mortified  rage.  She  wished  at  least  to  win  this 
man's  inspect,  and  she  was  showing  herself  to  him 
in  her  very  worst  light. 

"  I  had,  as  you  say,"  she  continued,  "  nothing 
to  offer  Mr.  Stanley  but  my  love ;  but  I  dare  say 
you  don't  believe  in  love,  Mr.  Kent-Lauriston." 

"  Not  believe  in  love  ?  My  dear  young  lady,  it 
forms  the  basis  of  every  possible  marriage." 

"  Does  it  never  form  the  whole  of  such  a 
union  ?  " 

"  Only  too  often,  but  these  are  the  impossible 
marriages,  and  ninety-nine  percent,  of  them  prove 
failures,  or  worse." 


4io  Parlous  Times 

"  I  can't  believe  you — if  one  loves,  nothing  else 
counts." 

"  Quite  true  for  the  time  being,  but  God  help 
the  man  or  woman  who  mistakes  the  passion 
aroused  by  a  pretty  face  or  form  for  the  real  last- 
ing article,  and  wagers  his  life  on  it." 

"  You've  never  married  ;  you  can,  therefore,  talk 
as  you  please." 

"  My  dear  Miss  Fitzgerald,  if  I'd  ever  married, 
I  should  probably  not  talk  at  all." 

"You  don't  regard  our  affair  as  serious?" 

"  Not  on  Mr.  Stanley's  side  ?  " 

"And  on  mine?" 

"That  we  shall  see  later  on;  but  my  young 
friend  is  in  his  salad  days,  and  he's  not  responsi- 
ble, but  he  is  almost  too  honest." 

"  I  suppose  you'll  say  I  tempted  him." 

"  N-o—  but  you  let  him  fall." 

"  However,  you  were  at  hand  to  rescue  him. 
I  wonder  you  should  have  wasted  your  valuable 
time  in  going  through  the  formality  of  consulting 
me  over  so  trivial  an  affair." 

"  But  it's  not  trivial.  I  thought  it  was  till  this 
morning,  now  I've  changed  my  mind.  It's  very 
serious.  I've  a  right  to  save  my  friend  from  mak- 
ing a  fool  of  himself,  when  he  only  is  the  real 
sufferer;  but  it's  a  very  different  question  when 
the  rights  of  another  person  are  involved,  espe- 
cially when  that  person  is  a  woman." 

"  So  you've  come  to  me  ?  " 

"  To  persuade  you,  if  possible,  to  relinquish 
those  rights." 


The  Price  of  Love  411 

"For  his  sake?" 

"  No,  for  your  own." 

"  Really — that's  a  novel  point  of  view  to  take 
of  the  matter." 

"  You  think  so.  I  only  want  you  to  see  the 
affair  in  its  true  light,  to  realise  that  the  game 
isn't  worth  the  candle." 

"  I  think  you'll  find  it  difficult  to  prove 
that." 

"  We  shall  see.  Suppose  I  state  the  case.  Here 
are  you,  a  charming  young  lady  of  good  family, 
but  no  means,  thrown  on  your  own  resources ;  in 
a  word,  with  the  opportunity  of  marrying  a — shall 
we  say,  pliable — young  man,  of  good  official  stand- 
ing, and  an  undoubtedly  large  income  and  princi- 
pal ;  who  is  infatuated — thinks  he's  fallen  in  love 
with  you,  and  whom  you  really  love.  There,  have 
I  stated  the  case  fairly  ?  " 

"  So  fairly,  that  you'll  find  it  difficult  to  prove 
your  point." 

"  Let  me  continue.  Suppose  you're  married ; 
grand  ceremonial,  great  falat,  delighted  friends 
and  relatives,  handsome  presents,  diamonds  and 
all — he'd  do  the  thing  well — honeymoon,  say,  the 
Riviera — limit,  three  months — what  next  ?  Where 
are  you  going  to  live  ?  London  ?  It  won't  do. 
Property — that  property  you're  so  interested  in — 
can't  take  care  of  itself  ;  the  young  heir  of  those 
broad  plantations  must  go  home  and  learn  the 
business.  Your  practical  mind  shows  you  the 
necessity  of  that.  Do  you  know  the  life  of  his 
native  country  ?  No  ?  Your  nearest  neighbours 


412  Parlous  Times 

thirty  miles  away,  and  deadly  dull  at  that ;  your 
climate  a  damp,  sultry  fog;  your  amusements, 
sleeping  in  a  hammock  two-thirds  of  the  day, 
when  the  mosquitoes  will  let  you,  and  your  hus- 
band's society,  as  sole  company,  the  rest  of  the 
time.  After  two  or  three  years,  or  perhaps  four 
or  five — long  enough  to  ruin  your  matchless  com- 
plexion, and  cause  you  both  to  be  forgotten  by 
all  your  friends,  except  those  who  can't  afford  to 
do  so — you  come  back  to  London  for  a  nice  long 
visit — say  three  months.  How  you  will  enjoy  it ! 
Let  me  see,  what  do  you  most  like?  Horses, 
riding,  hunting  ?  Ever  heard  the  Secretary's  ideas 
on  hunting? -' 

She  laughed  nervously,  and  Kent-Lauriston 
pursued  his  subject. 

"  Then  he's  so  indefatigable  at  balls  and  par- 
ties ;  I've  known  him  to  stay  half  an  hour,  when 
he's  been  feeling  fit !  His  friends,  too,  such  dear 
old  fogies,  like  your  esteemed  aunt,  not  like  your 
friends — you  know  how  fond  he  is  of  them.  The 
Kingslands  and  Darcys  of  your  acquaintance  would 
simply  revel  in  the  house  of  a  man  who  never 
plays  cards  for  money,  and  can't  tell  an  eighty 
from  a  ninety-eight  champagne — and  he'd  be 
master  in  his  own  house,  too — you  received  an 
ultimatum  yesterday.  A  man  who  will  do  that 
to  a  woman  to  whom  he  isn't  even  quite  engaged 
will  command  his  wife  and  see  that  she  obeys 
him.  You  would  have  before  you  the  choice  of 
living  in  an  atmosphere  and  associating  with  peo- 
ple entirely  uncongenial  to  you,  or  living  wholly 


The  Price  of  Love  413 

apart  from  your  husband  ;  either  would  be  intol- 
erable. Have  I  proved  my  point  ?  " 

"  You've  forgotten  to  include  in  your  charming 
sketch  that  I  should  still  have  the  comforts  of 
life,  and,  what  is  more  important,  a  house  to  cover 
me,  enough  to  eat  and  drink,  and  clothes  to  wear 
— things  which  I  have  sometimes  in  the  past 
found  it  pretty  difficult  to  obtain." 

"  True,  but  you'd  be  paying  too  high  a  price  for 
them,  much  too  high.  Take  my  word  for  it, 
again  and  again  you'd  long  to  be  back  in  your 
present  state  ;  yes,  and  in  harder  straits  than  you 
are  now." 

"  What  you  say  to  me  could  be  equally  well 
applied  to  Mr.  Stanley,  in  reverse." 

"  Quite  so  ;  it  sums  up  in  the  mere  fact,  that 
you  two  have  nothing  in  common  except  passion 
and  sentimentality,  very  frail  corner  stones  on 
which  to  build  a  life's  happiness.  You're  not 
even  companionable.  What  are  you  going  to 
talk  about  for  the  rest  of  your  lives?  It's  an  ap- 
palling prospect.  I  want  to  save  you  both  from 
making  a  very  bad  bargain." 

"  I  don't  agree  with  you,"  she  cried  vehemently, 
springing  to  her  feet,  "  not  at  all ;  but  what  dif- 
ference does  it  make?  I  know  well  enough  I'm 
not  really  to  be  consulted  as  to  the  issue  ;  you'd 
never  have  had  the  effrontery  to  speak  to  me  as 
you  have  done,  if  you  were  not  already  sure  of 
the  game.  To  use  a  commercial  phrase,  you've 
cornered  the  market,  and  can  make  what  terms 
you  please.  I  must  accede  to  them." 


414  Parlous  Times 

"  You  entirely  mistake  the  situation,  Miss  Fitz- 
gerald," he  said,  calmly  rising,  and  facing  her. 
"  It  is  you  who  have  cornered  the  market,  and  it 
is  I  who  must  buy  at  your  price." 

"  Explain  yourself !  What  do  you  mean  ? " 
she  cried,  a  gleam  of  hope,  almost  of  triumph, 
lighting  up  her  face. 

Kent-Lauriston  was  now  playing  a  bold  game. 

"  I  mean,"  he  replied,  "  that  circumstances  have 
rendered  me  powerless  to  prevent  Mr.  Stanley's 
marrying  you,  if  you  allow  him  to  do  so." 

(t  Tell  me ! "  she  exclaimed  abruptly. 

"  It's  for  that  purpose  that  I've  sought  you 
out." 

She  nodded.     She  was  watching  him  guardedly. 

"  I've  admitted  that  our  young  friend  was  in 
love  with  you.  I  don't  say  you  encouraged  him, 
but  you  certainly  excited  his  pity,  a  very  danger- 
ous proceeding  with  a  person  of  his  nature." 

"  What's  all  this  to  do  with  my  position?" 

"  A  great  deal,"  resumed  Kent-Lauriston. 
"  You  see,  I  want  you  to  understand  your  hold 
over  Mr.  Stanley — it's  really  because  he  pities 
you."  The  girl  flushed  painfully.  "  Excuse  me 
if  I  speak  things  which  are  unpleasant,  but  you 
most  understand  your  weakness,  and  your 
strength.  You've  nearly  ruined  yourself  by  being 
too  clever,  and  now,  by  the  wildest  stroke  of  luck, 
you're  in  a  very  strong  position." 

"  Would  you  mind  speaking  plainly?  " 

"  Certainly.  In  a  word,  the  situation  is  just 
this.  Within  the  last  few  days,  Mr.  Stanley  has 


The  Price  of  Love  415 

made  three  discoveries  about  you,  which  have  gone 
far  to  destroy  his  sympathy  for  you,  and  make  him 
believe  that  his  pity  or  his  love,  as  he  chooses  to 
call  it,  has  been  misplaced.  Two  of  these  discov- 
eries I  believe  to  be  true  ;  one — the  worst — I  know 
to  be  false.  If  he  discovers  how  shockingly  you've 
been  maligned,  he'll  probably  forget  the  past,  and, 
in  a  burst  of  contrition  at  having  so  misjudged 
you,  will  do  what  his  common  sense  forbids — I 
mean,  marry  you." 

"  You're  really  becoming  interesting.  I  had 
underrated  your  abilities.  Pray  be  more  explicit," 
she  said,  quite  at  her  ease  at  these  reassuring 
words,  and  putting  Kent-Lauriston  down,  men- 
tally, as  a  fool  for  giving  the  game  away,  when  he 
need  only  have  kept  silent  to  have  had  it  all  in 
his  own  hands. 

He  read  her  thoughts  and  smiled  quietly,  for, 
by  her  expression,  he  could  gauge  the  depth  of  her 
subtilty.  She  was  no  match  for  him,  if  she  were 
innocent  enough  to  believe  him  capable  of  such 
folly. 

"You  compliment  me,"  he  returned,  "but  to  go 
on — in  the  first  place,  he  learned  of  your  connec- 
tion with  Lady  Isabelle's  marriage.  It  opened 
his  eyes  somewhat." 

"She  told  him?" 

"  She  did.  You  forced  her  to  do  so,  by  your 
threat  against  her  husband." 

Miss  Fitzgerald  bit  her  lip,  and  said  nothing. 

"  Lady  Isabelle,"  continued  Kent-Lauriston, 
"  in  appealing  to  the  Secretary  to  save  her  hus- 


416  Parlous  Times 

band,  gave  him  the  clue  he  was  searching  for ; 
which  resulted  in  his  discovery  of  the  friendly 
turn  you  had  done  the  Lieutenant,  in  making  him 
unconsciously,  shall  we  say,  particeps  criminis  ?  " 

"  Ah  ! " 

"  Have  you  seen  Colonel  Darcy  to-day?" 

She  paused  for  a  moment,  considering,  and 
then  decided  it  was  better  to  be  straightforward, 
and  replied  : 

"  Not  since  yesterday  morning.  I  went  to  see 
him  last  evening,  but  found  him  out." 

"  I  know  you  did." 

Miss  Fitzgerald  breathed  a  sigh  of  relief.  It 
was  well  she  had  decided  not  to  lie  to  this  man. 

"  You're  probably  not  aware,  then,"  continued 
Kent-Lauriston,  "  that  Stanley  succeeded  in 
opening  the  secret  door  last  night,  and  obtained 
possession  of  Darcy 's  letter  of  instructions." 

The  Irish  girl  turned  very  white,  looking  as  if 
she  were  going  to  faint. 

"  Then  he  knows  everything,"  she  whispered. 

"  Everything,"  replied  her  tormentor.  "  The 
details  of  the  plot  he  has  known  for  some  time, 
being  stationed  here  by  the  Legation  to  watch 
the  Colonel — but  it  was  not  till  Darcy  was  brought 
to  book  this  morning,  and  in  order  to  save  himself, 
signed  a  written  confession,  that  he  really  knew 
the  extent  to  which  you  were  incriminated." 

She  burst  into  tears.  Kent-Lauriston  proceeded 
unconcernedly  with  his  story. 

"  The  Colonel's  chivalry  is  not  of  such  a  nature 
as  would  cause  him  to  hesitate  in  shifting  all  the 


The  Price  of  Love  417 

responsibility   he   could,    on   the   shoulders  of  a 
woman." 

She  dried  her  tears  at  that,  and  her  eyes  fairly 
snapped. 

"The  fact,"  resumed  Kent-Lauriston,  "  that 
Stanley  had  on  several  occasions  tried  to  help  you 
to  clear  yourself,  and  the  fact  that  you'd  persist- 
ently— well — not  done  so — made  matters  all  the 
worse.  In  short,  on  these  two  counts  alone,  you 
had  given  evidence  of  an  amount  of  deceit  and 
cold-blooded  calculation  that  completely  upset 
even  such  an  optimist  as  he.  Still,  I  think  he 
would  have  overlooked  it,  if  properly  managed — 
if  that  had  been  the  worst." 

"  Can  anything  be  worse?  " 

"  Yes,  for  this  last  charge  against  you  is  not 
true." 

"  Go  on." 

"  You  placed  yourself  in  Darcy's  power.  A 
clever  woman,  a  really  clever  woman,  my  dear 
Miss  Fitzgerald,  would  not  have  done  that.  It 
would  be  easy  for  him  to  manufacture  circum- 
stantial evidence,  to  back  any  lie  he  might  choose 
to  exploit,  to  your  discredit.  Say,  for  instance, 
that  you  were  the  prime  mover  in  this  plot,  and 
that  you  went  into  it  for  a  financial  consideration, 
for  three  thousand  pounds." 

"  But  Bob  never  would — 

"  Wouldn't  he,  when  he  was  thirsting  for  re- 
venge, believing  that  your  careless  threat  against 
Lieutenant  Kingsland  had  ruined  his  hopes." 

"Did  he  do  this?" 
27 


4i 8  Parlous  Times 

"  He  did,  and  that  is  why  I'm  here  this  morn- 
ing in  Mr.  Stanley's  place — commissioned  to 
return  to  you  your  letters,"  and  he  handed  her 
the  packet. 

"  It's  not  true !  "  she  cried.  "  Before  Heaven, 
Mr.  Kent-Lauriston,  it  is  not  true !  " 

"  I  know  it's  not  true,  for  Darcy's  confessed  to 
me." 

"  But  Mr.  Stanley  does  not  know." 

"No." 

"  Then  he  must  be  told." 

"  If  you  tell  him  he'll  fling  prudence  to  the 
winds  in  an  agony  of  remorse,  and  you'll  have 
won  the  game." 

"  You  mean  he'll  keep  to  his  engagement  ?  " 

"  I  mean  he'll  marry  you." 

"And  you  dare  to  ask  any  woman  to  allow 
such  a  slander  to  live  when  she  can  deny  it  ?  " 

"  I  ask  you,  for  your  own  sake,  for  the  reasons 
I've  stated,  for  your  future  happiness,  and  as  an 
escape  from  certain  misery — to  let  him  go." 

"  I  tell  you  I  love  him." 

"Then  I  ask  you  for  his  sake.  A  brilliant 
diplomatic  career  is  just  opening  before  him,  as 
the  result  of  the  discovery  of  this  plot.  Is  his 
government  likely  to  repose  confidence  in  him  in 
the  future,  with  you  as  his  wife — a  woman  who 
has  practised  treason  ?  His  father  would  never  re- 
ceive you,  and  might  disinherit  him.  Do  you  love 
this  man  so  little  that  you  wish  to  ruin  him  ?" 

"  I  tell  you  I  love  him — you  do  not  under 
stand." 


The  Price  of  Love  419 

"  I  understand  that  you  love  him  in  one  of  two 
ways.  If  it's  a  great  love  it's  capable  of  sacrifice 
to  prove  its  greatness.  Show  that  it  is  so  by 
giving  him  up.  If  it's  any  other  sort  of  love  it 
will  not  stand  the  strain  to  which  you  propose  to 
subject  it,  and  within  six  months  after  your  mar- 
riage you'll  realise  that  you've  ruined  two  lives, 
and  are  yourself  the  chief  sufferer.  Come,  prove 
that  what  you  say  is  true,  and  save  him  from 
himself." 

"  But  if  I  do,  I  do  it  at  a  fearful  price.  It 
means  social  ostracism." 

"  Not  at  all.  Who  will  know  of  this  charge 
against  you  ?  Four  people  at  the  most,  and  not 
one  of  them  will  ever  speak  of  it.  Darcy,  who 
originated  the  lie,  will,  for  obvious  reasons,  keep 
silent.  Stanley's  the  soul  of  honour ;  he'd  rather 
tear  his  tongue  out  than  speak  a  word  of  it.  I've 
proved  my  discretion  through  several  generations, 
and  Kingsland  must  be  held  in  check  by  you." 

"Why  do  you  include  Lieutenant  Kingsland?" 

"  Because,  I  believe,  he  holds  the  only  piece 
of  evidence  which  could  appear  to  substantiate 
Darcy's  trumped-up  lie." 

"  And  that  is  ?  " 

"  The  receipt  for  the  forty  thousand  pounds  in 
your  name." 

"  And  you  wish  me  to  ask  Kingsland  to  pro- 
claim my  own  shame  !  " 

"  I  wish  you  to  ask  him  to  give  that  receipt  to 
the  Secretary." 

"  Now  I  see  why  you  come  to  me,  why  you  did 


42 o  Parlous  Times 

not  ruthlessly  throw  me  over  ;  your  little  plot  had 
a  weak  point,  and  you  needed  my  co-operation  to 
complete  my  own  degradation  ! " 

"  Miss  Fitzgerald  is  fast  becoming  a  diplo- 
matist ! " 

"  I'm  a  fool ! " 

"  Pardon  me,  you  are  nearer  wisdom  than 
you've  ever  been  in  your  life." 

"  If — I — do — this,"  she  said  very  slowly,  "  you 
must  help  me  to  reinstate  myself  in  the  eyes  of 
the  world." 

"  I've  told  you  it'll  not  be  necessary." 

"  Bah !  I  know  the  world  better  than  you  do, 
with  all  your  cleverness.  Mine  is  a  practical,  not 
a  theoretical,  knowledge." 

Kent-Lauriston  bowed. 

"  They'll  talk,  no  matter  if  it  be  truth  or  not. 
It  will  be  believed.  I  must  have  a  few  questions 
answered  in  any  event." 

"  Ask  them." 

"Who  is  Mr.  Stanley  to  marry?" 

"  Madame  Darcy." 

"  But— 

"  Her  husband  has  consented  to  the  divorce." 

"  On  what  grounds?  " 

"  Incompatibility  of  temper,  I  believe." 

"  So  you  think  the  Secretary  will  marry  her?" 

"  I'll  take  charge  of  that  matter." 

"  I  know  they  love  each  other!  "she  exclaimed, 
passionately.  "  It  was  love  at  first  sight.  Then 
there  was  a  misunderstanding.  Now,  one  more 
question.  This  sum  of  forty  thousand  pounds?  " 


The  Price  of  Love  421 

"  Yes,  what  of  it  ?  " 

"Who's  to  have  it?" 

"  Darcy." 

"  What ! " 

"  The  Secretary  told  him  he  might  draw  it  from 
the  bank  to-morrow,  as,  well — as  compensation  for 
turning  State's  evidence." 

She  laughed  a  harsh,  unmusical  laugh. 

"  You've  won,"  she  said.  "  I  will  do  what  you 
wish — for  his  sake." 

"  I  believed  that  you  would,"  he  replied  gravely, 
but  one  eyelid  raised  just  a  trifle.  She  saw  it,  and 
turned  on  him  like  a  flash. 

"  No ! "  she  cried,  "  it  isn't  for  that  reason ! 
I've  some  good  in  me  yet,  some  pride !  I  tell 
you,  it's  not  your  cleverness  that  has  done  this ! 
I  wouldn't  surrender  my  good  name  for  the  sake 
of  any  man  in  the  world  !  I  wouldn't  allow  the 
breath  of  suspicion  to  linger  in  the  minds  of  my 
friends,  for  the  love  of  your  friend,  or  any  other 
weak  fool,  whom  I  can  turn  round  my  fingers ! 
No  !  the  reason  I  surrender  is  because  your  last 
words  have  told  me  how  I  can  right  myself  before 
all  the  world,  save  one  man  ;  and  I'll  consent  to 
sacrifice  my  reputation  in  his  eyes,  because  I  love 
him.  But  for  all  that,  Robert  Darcy  cannot 
divorce  the  woman  who  bears  his  name." 

"Why  not?" 

"  Because  she's  not  his  wife." 

"  Not  his  wife  !    Who  is  his  wife,  then  ?  " 

"  I  am." 


CHAPTER  XXXIX 

THE    PRICE     OF     SILENCE 

"  YOU  are  Robert  Darcy's  wife,"  he  said  slowly, 
trying  to  adjust  his  ideas  to  this  altered  state  of 
affairs.  Then,  as  some  comprehension  of  the 
results  which  would  follow  this  declaration  dawned 
upon  him,  he  continued  : — 

"  Why  have  you  told  me  this  ?  " 

"  Because  I  need  your  co-operation,  and  you're 
the  only  man  I  know  whom  I  can  trust  to  keep  the 
secret." 

"  I've  given  you  no  pledge  to  do  so." 

"  Quite  true,  and  I've  asked  for  none ;  but  I've 
misread  you  sadly,  if  you  can't  keep  a  still  tongue 
in  your  head,  when  the  advantage  to  all  concerned 
by  so  doing  can  be  made  clear  to  you." 

"  Can  you  prove  your  point  ?  " 

"  Yes,  even  to  your  satisfaction." 

"  I'm  all  attention,"  he  said. 

"  In  the  first  place,"  she  began,  "  you  must 
understand  that  Colonel  Darcy  and  I  were  secretly 
married  four  years  ago,  in  Ireland.  I'll  show  you 
my  marriage  certificate,  to  prove  my  words,  when 
we  return  to  the  house.  I  always  carry  it  with 
me  in  case  of  an  emergency." 

Kent-Lauriston  nodded,  and  she  continued : — 
422 


The  Price  of  Silence  .  423 

"  The  Colonel  married  me  under  the  impression 
that  I  was  an  heiress.  I  married  him  because  I 
thought  I  loved  him.  We  both  discovered  our 
mistakes  within  the  first  few  days.  No  one  knew 
of  the  step  we  had  taken,  so  we  agreed  to  sepa- 
rate. This  is  a  practical  age.  As  Miss  Fitzgerald 
I'd  hosts  of  friends;  as  Mrs.  Darcy,  a  girl  who 
had  made  a  worse  than  foolish  marriage,  I  should 
have  had  none.  The  Colonel  had  expected  his 
wife  to  support  him ;  he  was  in  no  condition  to 
support  her.  His  regiment  was  ordered  to  India ; 
if  he  resigned,  his  income  was  gone.  We  decided 
to  keep  our  secret.  I  remained  Miss  Fitzgerald. 
He  went  to  India.  Three  years  later  he  was  in- 
valided home.  Travelling  for  his  health,  he  re- 
turned by  way  of  South  America.  There  he  met 
Inez  De  Costa,  and  won  her  love.  She  combined 
the  two  things  he  most  craved,  position  and 
wealth.  He  had  heard  nothing  from  me  for 
many  months.  He  allowed  his  inclinations  to 
guide  his  reason,  and,  trusting  that  I  was  dead,  or 
had  done  something  foolish,  he  married  her  and 
returned  to  England.  We  met.  My  natural  im- 
pulse was  to  denounce  him,  but  sober  second 
thought  showed  the  futility  of  such  a  course.  I'd 
nothing  to  gain;  everything  to  lose.  He  sent 
me  money.  I  returned  it.  Do  you  believe 
that?" 

"  I  believe  you  implicitly,"  replied  Kent- 
Lauriston. 

"  Then  he  came  to  see  me ;  for  I  think  he  still 
loved  me.  He  came,  I  say,  fearfully  at  first,  lest 


424  Parlous  Times  ' 

i 

I  should  betray  him.  Then  growing  bolder,  he 
threw  off  all  reserve.  Believing,  fool  that  he  was, 
because  I  didn't  denounce  him,  that  I  could  ever 
forget  or  forgive  the  wrong  he'd  done  me.  He 
mistook  compliance  for  forgetfulness,  even  had 
the  audacity  to  suggest  that  I,  too,  should  marry. 
"Then  this  scheme  for  defeating  the  treaty 
was  proposed  to  him.  He  was  willing  enough  to 
undertake  it,  for  his  second  matrimonial  venture 
had  been  a  pecuniary  failure,  thanks  to  the  wis- 
dom of  Sefior  De  Costa  in  tying  up  his  daughter's 
property  ;  but  he  lacked  the  brains  to  carry  it 
out,  and,  like  the  fool  that  he  is,  came  to  me  for 
assistance.  I  had  lulled  his  suspicions,  and  he 
needed  a  confederate.  He  even  held  out  vague 
promises  of  a  future  for  us  both,  as  if  I'd  believe 
his  attested  oath,  after  what  had  passed  !  I  con- 
sented to  help  him,  and  would  have  brought  the 
matter  to  a  successful  issue,  if  it  hadn't  been  for 
his  stupidity.  What  did  I  care  about  the  success 
or  failure  of  his  plot  ?  It  had  put  the  man  in  my 
power,  put  him  where  I  wanted  to  have  him.  At 
any  time  within  the  last  six  weeks  I  could  have 
forced  him  to  publicly  recognise  me,  if  need 
were." 

"  What  prevented  you  from  doing  this?  " 
"  I'd   fallen  in  love  with  your  friend.     Yes,  I 
admit  it.     It  was  weak,  pitiably  weak.     At  first 
I  played  with  him,  then  too  late  I  understood  my 
own  feelings." 

"  But  it  could  have  come  to  nothing." 

"  Can  you  suppose  I  didn't  realise  that  keenly  ? 


>  The  Price  of  Silence  425 

Yet  I  hoped  against  hope  that  Darcy  would  die ; 
that  he'd  be  apprehended  and  imprisoned,  and 
perish  of  the  rigours  of  hard  labour;  anything 
that  would  set  me  free.  Then  I  saw  that  Stanley 
loved  Inez  De  Costa.  It  was  an  added  pang,  but 
it  caused  me  to  hesitate  ;  because  in  taking  my 
revenge,  I  should  wreck  both  their  lives." 

"  But  you  ?    Had  you  pity  for  Inez  De  Costa  ?  " 

"  Yes,  incomprehensible  as  it  may  seem  to  you  ; 
for  I'd  learned  to  loathe  Darcy  before  he  had  com- 
mitted bigamy.  I  never  met  her  till  that  night  at 
the  Hyde  Park  Club,  and  she  asked  me  if  I  knew 
her  husband.  Her  husband 7  I  pitied  her  from 
that  moment.  She'd  done  me  no  wrong.  Why 
should  I  wreck  her  life,  if  it  could  be  avoided  ?  " 

"And  now?" 

"  Now  you've  solved  the  problem.  Darcy  won't 
dare  to  contest  the  suit  for  divorce.  He'll  be  glad 
to  get  rid  of  her,  because  he  can't  control  her 
money.  Having  the  purse-strings,  I  can  force 
him  to  recognise  me  as  his  wife,  after  the  divorce 
has  been  granted.  I  shall  have  an  assured  posi- 
tion, and  I  can  begin  to  pay  back  some  of  my 
debts,"  and  her  eyes  flashed. 

"  And  in  all  this,  what  is  there  to  compel  me  to 
keep  your  secret  ?  " 

"  Because  the  marriage  between  Inez  De  Costa 
and  Mr.  Stanley  might  never  take  place  if  they 
knew  the  truth.  I'll  keep  the  secret  if  you  will. 
She's  in  no  way  to  blame.  At  first  I  hated  her ; 
now  that  I've  known  her,  my  hate  is  turned  to 
pity." 


426  Parlous  Times 

"  You're  right,"  said  Kent-Lauriston.  •  I'll  keep 
your  secret  inviolate." 

"  Now  about  the  receipt  for  the  forty  thousand 
pounds." 

"Yes?" 

"  I  think  Mr.  Stanley  had  better  see  it,  it'll  save 
further  awkwardness,  but  I  must  have  it  back. 
It's  my  one  hold  over  Darcy,  my  one  chance  of 
righting  myself." 

"  There's  a  receipt  for  the  amount,"  said 
Kent-Lauriston,  tearing  out  a  leaf  from  his 
note-book,  on  which  he  wrote  a  few  lines.  "  I'll 
be  responsible  for  its  return  to  you.  I  can't  do 
less." 

"  Here  comes  Lieutenant  Kingsland  now,"  she 
said.  "  Don't  say  anything,  I'll  manage  this 
affair." 

"  Jack  ! "  she  called,  "  come  here  a  moment."     . 

The  young  officer  approached. 

"  Yes  ?  "  he  said  interrogatively. 

"You  needn't  hesitate  to  speak  before  Mr. 
Kent-Lauriston,"  she  assured  him.  "  He's  one  of 
my  best  friends.  You've  not  forgotten  the  prom- 
ise which  you  made  me,  when  I  helped  you 
about  arranging  your  wedding,  to  do  anything  I 
might  request?" 

"  No,  and  I'd  do  it  if  the  occasion  required,"  he 
replied  heartily. 

"  Good,"  she  said,  "  the  occasion  is  here." 

"  What  must  I  do  ?  " 

"  You  hold  in  your  possession  a  receipt  from 
the  Victoria  Street  Branch  of  the  Bank  of  Eng- 


The  Price  of  Silence  427 

land  for  the  deposit  in  my  name  of  five  chests  be- 
longing to  Mr.  Riddle." 

"  Yes,  I've  been  meaning  to  give  it  to  you." 

"  I  wish  you  to  give  it  to  Mr.  Stanley." 

"  To  Mr.  Stanley  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"Is  that  all?" 

"  All,  except  that  I  charge  you,  on  your  honour, 
never  to  let  him  know  I  asked  you  to  do  this. 
Tell  him  only  that  I  gave  you  the  chests,  and  how 
you  disposed  of  them,  and  place  the  receipt  in  his 
hands,  as  coming  from  yourself.  Not  a  syllable 
about  me,  mind  !  " 

"  I'll  follow  your  instructions  literally ;  but 
how  am  I  to  have  the  opportunity  of  doing 
this  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Stanley  will  give  you  the  opportunity, 
perhaps  to-day.  Then  see  that  you  do  it." 

"  I  promise." 

"  Swear." 

"  Well,  I  swear  on  my  honour  as  an  officer  and 
a  gentleman." 

"  Good.  One  more  word.  Before  to-night  you 
may  change  your  feelings  towards  me,  may  feel 
absolved  from  all  obligations  to  me ;  but  whatever 
events  occur,  do  not  forget  that  you  have  sworn 
to  do  this  on  your  honour  as  an  officer  and  as  a 
gentleman,  without  any  mental  reservations  what- 
soever, and  to  do  neither  less  nor  more  than 
this." 

"  You  can  trust  me,  and  if  you  think  that  any- 
thing my  wife " 


428  Parlous  Times 

"  No  !  no !  I  do  trust  you.  Go  now,  and  give 
Mr.  Stanley  a  chance  to  see  you  at  once.  You'll 
be  serving  me  best  so." 

He  left  them  wondering,  and,  she,  turning  to 
Kent-Lauriston,  said  : — 

"  I  tell  you  it  is  the  greatest  proof  of  my  affec- 
tion for  him  ;  for  what  he  thinks  of  me  is  worth 
all  the  criticism  of  the  world  and  more.  Oh,  you 
may  scoff  !  I  know  you  think  him  too  good  for 
me!" 

"  Pardon  me,"  interrupted  Kent-Lauriston, 
taking  off  his  hat,  and  bowing  his  head  over  her 
hand,  which  he  held,  "  I  have  misunderstood  you." 

It  was  nearly  two  hours  later  that  the  Secretary 
found  time,  amidst  the  distractions  of  a  hurried 
departure,  for  he  had  made  his  peace  with  his 
hostess  and  was  leaving  for  town  that  afternoon, 
to  redeem  his  promise  to  Lady  Isabelle. 

"  Is  Lieutenant  Kingsland  in  the  house  ?  "  he 
asked  of  the  servant,  who  answered  his  summons. 

"  He's  in  the  billiard-room,  sir." 

"  Very  well.  Will  you  present  my  compliments 
to  him,  and  ask  him  to  be  so  kind  as  to  come  to 
my  room  for  a  few  minutes  ?  " 

In  less  time  than  it  takes  to  tell  it,  the  young 
officer  responded  to  the  summons,  saying  as  he 
entered : — 

"  Here  I  am.     Can  I  do  anything  for  you  ?  " 

"  Perhaps.  But  I  sent  for  you  primarily  for 
the  purpose  of  doing  you  a  favour." 

"  That  sounds  encouraging.     By  the  way,  did 


The  Price  of  Silence  429 

you  know  that  your  especial  admiration,  Darcy, 
was  planning  to  vacate  at  the  earliest  oppor- 
tunity?" 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  Secretary,  drily.  "  I  gave 
him  leave  to  go,  but  he's  to  all  intents  and  pur- 
poses under  arrest." 

"The  devil!" 

"  Quite  so,  there's  the  devil  to  pay,  and  I'm 
afraid  you  may  have  to  foot  part  of  the  bill,  if 
you're  not  careful." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  cried  the  Lieutenant, 
starting  uneasily. 

"  I'll  explain.  That's  why  I  sent  for  you  ;  but 
you  mustn't  resent  a  certain  inquisitiveness  on  my 
part.  It's  only  for  your  good." 

"  Go  on,  go  on  !  " 

"  You  went  to  London  a  few  days  ago,  and  exe- 
cuted a  commission  for  Darcy." 

"  No— for  Belle  Fitzgerald." 

"  It's  the  same  thing." 

"  I  think  not.  There  were  some  chests  con- 
taining stereopticon  slides,  and  Belle  asked  me  to 
put  them  in  a  bank  for  her." 

"  The  Victoria  Street  Branch  of  the  Bank  of 
England." 

"  Exactly." 

"  A  good  many  slides,  I  imagine ;  rather  heavy, 
weren't  they  ?  " 

"  Gad,  I  should  think  they  were.  It  took  two 
porters  to  lift  each  chest." 

"  I  suppose  you  told  the  bank  authorities  what 
was  in  the  chests  ?  " 


430  Parlous  Times 

"  No,  I  was  told  there  was  nothing  to  say.  I 
was  only  to  surrender  them,  and  a  sealed  note, 
which  would  explain  all." 

"  Did  they  give  you  a  receipt  for  it  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  Can  anybody  get  the  chests  out  ?  " 

"  No,  only  the  person  mentioned  in  the  receipt." 

"  Have  you  still  got  the  receipt  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  Very  good,"  said  the  Secretary.  "  I  see  your 
luck  has  not  deserted  you." 

"And  now,"  said  Kingsland,  "that  I've 
answered  all  your  questions,  perhaps  you'll  tell 
me  what  you  mean." 

"  This  is  what  I  mean,"  replied  Stanley,  hand- 
ing him  that  first  part  of  his  Minister's  letter 
which  he  had  shown  to  Darcy. 

The  Lieutenant  read  it  once,  not  understanding 
its  purport ;  then  again,  his  brow  becoming  wrin- 
kled with  anxiety ;  and  yet  again,  with  a  very 
white  face. 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  he  gasped. 

"  It  looks  dangerously  like  treason,  doesn't  it  ?  " 
returned  the  Secretary. 

"  But  what  is  this  bribe  ?  " 

"  You  ought  to  know  that,  as  you  carried  it  up 
to  London,  in  sovereigns." 

"  What — how  much  was  it?  " 

"  Forty  thousand  pounds  in  gold." 

"  Good  heavens !  "  said  the  Lieutenant,  and 
mopped  his  brow.  "  But  I  didn't  know  anything 
about  it !  " 


The  Price  of  Silence  431 

"  That  doesn't  prevent  you  from  having  partici- 
pated in  one  of  the  most  rascally  plots  of  your 
day  and  generation  ;  from  being  a  party  in  an  at- 
tempt to  overthrow,  by  the  most  open  and  shame- 
less bribery,  a  treaty  pending  between  the  gov- 
ernment you  serve  and  mine." 

"  But,  if  this  gets  out,  I'll  be  cashiered  from  the 
navy." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  think  they'd  stop  there,"  said  the 
Secretary  reassuringly.  "  Not  with  the  proof  of 
that  receipt." 

"  Good  Lord,  I  forgot  that !  Here,  take  it,  will 
you  ?  " 

"  Certainly.  Suppose  we  open  it  and  see  if  it 
proves  my  assertion,"  and,  suiting  the  action  to 
the  word,  he  placed  in  the  Lieutenant's  shaking 
hands  a  receipt  of  deposit  in  the  Victoria  Street 
Branch  of  the  Bank  of  England,  by  Miss  Isabelle 
Fitzgerald,  kindness  of  Lieutenant  J.  Kingsland, 
of  forty  thousand  pounds. 

"  Can't  you  help  me  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  It  rests  entirely  with  me." 

"  Then  you  will  ?" 

"  Tell  me  all  you  know. 

"  But  I  don't  know  anything,  except  what  I've 
told  you.  I  give  you  my  word  as  an  officer  and  a 
gentleman,  that  I've  been  let  into  this  affair  in  a 
most  shameful  manner,  and  that  I'm  entirely  in- 
nocent, and  ignorant  of  everything  connected 
with  it." 

"  I  believe  you,  Lieutenant  Kingsland." 
\     "  And  you  won't  prosecute  ?  " 


432  Parlous  Times 

"  Not  if  you'll  promise  to  drop  this  gang ; 
they're  a  bad  lot.  Promise  me  you'll  cut  loose 
from  them  as  soon  as  possible,  for  your  wife's 
sake." 

"  I  will,"  he  said.  "  I  will,  old  man.  I  can't 
thank  you  enough  for  what  you've  done." 

"  You've  nothing  to  thank  me  for ;  I'm  sure 
you  are  innocent,  and  so  I  don't  consider  the  cir- 
cumstantial evidence ;  but  you  might  not  be  as 
lucky  another  time.  I  hope  this  will  be  a  lesson 
to  you.  I  need  hardly  caution  you  to  silence," 
and  he  appeared  to  peruse  some  papers  to  ease  the 
young  officer's  exit  from  the  room. 

That  evening  in  the  privacy  of  the  library,  the 
Lieutenant  confided  the  news  of  his  lucky  escape 
to  his  wife,  ending  up  with  the  question : 

"  Do  you  think  the  Fitzgerald  really  loves  him  ?  " 

"  My  dear  Jack,"  said  Lady  Isabelle,  "  a  woman 
of  that  stamp  does  not  know  what  love  means, 
she's  simply  scheming  to  marry  him  for  his  money. 
How  can  people  do  such  things  ?  " 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know,  my  dear,"  replied  her 
spouse,  yawning.  The  subject  was  inopportune, 
and  it  bored  him. 


CHAPTER  XL 

THE  PRICE  OF  A  LIE 

STANLEY  had  made  all  his  adieux,  or  at  least  all 
he  wanted  to  make.  He  was  tired  with  the  excit- 
ing events  of  the  day,  and  longed  for  a  little  peace 
and  quiet  before  the  exacting  ordeal  of  a  railway 
ride  to  London.  He  had  given  up  the  time-table 
as  a  Chinese  puzzle.  "  What  with  the  trains  that 
go  somewhere  and  those  that  don't,"  he  protested, 
"I'm  all  at  sea!"  He,  therefore,  sent  Kent- 
Lauriston  ahead  in  the  trap,  and  walked  across  the 
park  to  the  station. 

That  gentleman  had  convinced  him  of  the  pro- 
priety of  restoring  the  order  for  the  forty  thou- 
sand pounds  to  Miss  Fitzgerald.  He  had  pointed 
out  that  she  was  the  rightful  owner  of  the  docu- 
ment, and  that  Darcy  was  an  infernal  rascal. 
The  Secretary  had  acquiesced  in  his  demand,  and 
promised,  should  he  not  see  Belle  before  he  left, 
an  interview  he  much  wished  to  avoid,  that  he 
would  mail  it  to  her  from  the  station. 

He  had  first,  however,  a  far  more  pleasant  com- 
mission to  perform,  and  a  few  minutes  later  was 
seated  under  the  spreading  branches  of  an  old 
apple  tree  with  Inez  Darcy. 

**  433 


434  Parlous  Times 

"  I  felt  I  must  come  and  see  you,"  he  said. 
"  I'm  going  away  to-day,  to  London,  on  impor- 
tant business." 

"  Yes,"  she  murmured.  "  You've  been  very 
good  to  me." 

"  Some  time  ago,"  he  continued,  "  you  did  me 
the  honour  to  entrust  your  affairs  to  my  keeping, 
or,  perhaps,  to  the  keeping  of  the  Legation." 

"  To  your  keeping,  I  should  prefer." 

"  I  fear  that  you  may  think  I've  been  remiss, 
that  other  things  have  taken  my  mind  off  them, 
that  I've,  in  short,  forgotten  them,  but  it  is  not  so." 

"  I  never  doubted  you." 

"  I  hope  to  prove  to  you  that  you've  not  mis- 
placed your  confidence,  in  evidence  of  which  I 
bring  you  this,"  and  he  handed  her  a  paper. 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  she  said. 

"  A  line  from  your  husband,"  she  started, 
"  which  gives  you  your  freedom." 

"  You  mean  a  divorce?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  But  I  do  not  understand." 

"  He  agreed  to  consent  to  your  obtaining  such  a 
decree  on  any  ground  you  choose.  I've  decided  on 
'  incompatibility  of  temper,' as  being  the  least  em- 
barrassing to  you.  He  will  not  appear  to  contest 
the  suit  when  it  is  brought  forward.  This  paper, 
signed  in  my  presence,  promises  as  much." 

"  My  husband  is  a  bad  man,  he  would  never 
have  surrendered  unless  he  was  forced  to  do  so ; 
for  he  believes  that  by  retaining  the  control  of 
me,  he  may  yet  obtain  control  of  my  property." 


The  Price  of  a  Lie  435 

.  "Perhaps  he  has  seen  the  futility  of  these 
hopes." 

"  No,  no,  his  own  self-conceit  would  have  blind- 
ed him  to  the  possibility  of  being  outwitted. 
You've  forced  this  from  him.  How  have  you 
done  so  ?  " 

"  I  had  hoped  you  would  not  press  me  for  these 
reasons.  Can't  you  accept  my  assurance  that 
whatever  I've  done,  has  been  done  in  your  inter- 
ests alone." 

"  Don't  think  me  ungrateful  if  I  say  no,  but  I've 
had  to  endure  so  many  mysteries,  that,  for  once, 
my  great  desire  is  to  be  clear  of  them." 

"  I  hesitate  to  tell  you,  because  it  may  give  you 
pain." 

"  I  am  used  to  that  and  can  bear  it." 

"  Well,  if  you  will  have  it.  Colonel  Darcy,  as  a 
result  of  his  own  actions,  was  placed  in  my  power." 

"  You  mean  that  it  was  your  duty  to  have  him 
arrested  ?  " 

"  That  was  left  to  my  discretion." 

"  And  you  forced  his  consent  ?  " 

"  No,  I  gave  him  a  chance  to  purchase  his  free- 
dom, and  a  substantial  reward,  by  a  confession, 
and  this "  and  he  touched  the  paper. 

"  But  had  you  a  right ?  " 

"  I  had  a  right  to  make  any  terms  I  pleased. 
I  was  given  unlimited  power  to  impose  my  own 
conditions,  and  I'm  sure,  had  my  Chief  known,  he 
would  have  wished  you  to  derive  any  benefit  pos- 
sible from  the  transaction." 

"  It's  dearly  bought  with  that  man's  disgrace. 


43  6  Parlous  Times 

i 

In  the  eyes  of  the  world,  he  will  still  be  my  hus- 
band." 
j     "  There  will  be  no  disgrace." 

"  I  do  not  understand." 

I  "  The  government  doesn't  wish  to  punish  Col- 
onel Darcy  ;  it  merely  wishes  for  his  evidence,  to 
aid  in  the  detection  of  others." 

"  But  his  name  will  appear." 

"  It  is  strictly  stipulated  that  it  shall  not  do 
so  ;  be  assured  your  secret  is  safe." 

"  And  he  could  have  sunk  so  low  as  to  sell  him- 
self and  those  who  trusted  him." 

"  They  were  criminals." 

"  It  doesn't  lessen  his  treachery. 

"  Don't  waste  a  thought  on  him,  least  of  all  any 
sentimental  emotion.  He  wasted  little  enough  on 
you,  and  would  have  insulted  you  in  my  pres- 
ence, had  I  permitted  it ;  he  sold  your  freedom 
with  less  compunction  than  he  sold  his  honour 
or  his  friends." 

"  Enough !  "  she  cried,  her  eyes  sparkling.  "  He 
is  forgotten.  We  will  speak  of  something  else. 
Let  me  use  my  time  to  better  purpose,  by  trying 
to  thank  you — to  begin  to  thank  you,  for  all 
you've  done  for  me." 
,  "  You  can  repay  me  if  you  like." 

"  What  is  the  payment,  then,  for  which  you 
ask?" 

"  My  Chief  has  received  a  request  from  your 
father  this  morning,  that  you  be  put  in  charge  of 
some  responsible  person,  to  come  home  to 
him." 


The  Price  of  a  Lie  437 

"  Ah  !  "  she  said,  "  that  is  no  favour,  it  is  good 
news." 

"  You  must  hear  me  out.  Your  father  request- 
ed the  Minister  to  nominate  your  escort." 

"Well?" 

"  He  has  nominated  me." 

"  What,  are  you  going  home  ?  " 

"  Almost  at  once.  Will  you  trust  yourself  in 
my  hands  ?  " 

"  Trust  you  !  I  will  go  with  you  anywhere ! 
I  will  trust  you  always  !  " 

"Perhaps,"  he  said,  looking  down  into  her  eyes, 
as  he  stood  before  her,  "  I  shall  ask  you  to  fulfil 
those  promises  some  day." 

"  Perhaps,"  she  replied,  rising  and  standing  by 
his  side,  "  I  shall  then  be  free  to  answer  you," 
and  a  radiant  smile  lit  up  her  face. 

They  took  each  other's  hands,  and  stood  silent 
for  a  long  time.  Then  he  bade  her  good-bye,  and 
resumed  his  walk  to  the  station. 

Midway  in  his  path,  a  figure  lying  prone  in  the 
tall  grass  roused  itself  into  action  at  his  coming, 
sprang  up  and  stood  facing  him,  flushed,  defiant, 
and  on  the  verge  of  tears. 

It  was  the  last  person  in  the  world  Stanley 
wished  to  see — Belle  Fitzgerald.  He  had  felt  it 
was  impossible  to  meet  her  again ;  that  she  had 
put  herself  beyond  the  pale  of  his  recognition  ;  that 
it  was  not  even  decent  that  she  should  face  him ; 
that  he  should  have  been  left  to  forget ;  and  she, 
seeing  all  this  in  his  face,  and  more — longed  to 
throw  her  good  resolutions  to  the  winds,  and  cry 


438  Parlous  Times 

out  against  this  great  injustice.  But  as  they  stood 
there,  her  subtle  woman's  instinct  told  her  that, 
even  were  her  innocence  proclaimed  with  the 
trumpet,  the  thought  that  it  had  been  otherwise 
would  stand  between  them  as  an  insurmountable 
barrier  for  ever,  and  she  hardened  her  heart  for  his 
sake. 

"  You  are  going  away,"  she  said. 

"  Yes,"  he  replied,  looking  down  at  the  road. 
She  told  herself  passionately,  that  he  would  look 
anywhere  rather  than  at  her. 

"  Some  of  your  property  has  come  into  my  pos- 
session," he  said.  "  I  wish  to  return  it  to  you," 
and  he  handed  her  the  receipt  for  the  forty  thou- 
sand pounds. 

"  I'll  trust  you'll  see,"  he  continued,  in  a  strained 
voice,  "  that  Colonel  Darcy  has  his  proper  share." 

"  He  shall  have  what  he  deserves,"  she  replied 
coldly  ;  and  then  she  burst  out,  her  words  tum- 
bling one  over  the  other,  now  that  she  had  found 
speech :  "  You  ought  to  know,  you  must  know, 
that  when  Colonel  Darcy  is  free,  we  shall  be  man 
and  wife." 

"  I'm  very  glad,"  he  said,  and  he  said  it  from 
his  heart. 

There  was  an  awkward  pause,  neither  seemed 
able  to  speak.  At  length  he  remarked,  more  to 
break  the  silence  than  anything: — 

"  You  know,  I  always  thought,  that,  in  your 
heart,  you  loved  Darcy,  before  anyone  else." 

She  laughed  her  hard,  cold  laugh,  saying: — 

"  You  diplomats  know  everything." 


The  Price  of  a  Lie  439 

The  Secretary  bowed  silently  and  passed  on, 
well  satisfied  to  close  the  interview  ;  his  thoughts 
full  of  the  brilliant  future  which  was  opening  be- 
fore him,  unconscious  that  behind  him,  face  down 
in  the  grass,  a  woman  was  sobbing  her  heart  out. 


A     000  097  957     5 


